Hours after US lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislature calling on the United States to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Biden administration on Wednesday reiterated its opposition to the initiative.
Citing unintended consequences, including potential humanitarian costs on aid being delivered to Ukrainians, food exports, and ship movement through the Black Sea, State Department Spokesman Ned Price stressed again that the administration was against the move.
Price underscored that, at the same time, they’re engaging with Congress on tools that would continue to have analogous implications for the Russian economy and the Russian government.
Price was only repeating what the White House Spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said last week, saying that President Biden had made a final decision against it despite the fact that Ukraine has heavily pushed for designating Russia as a state sponsor of terror.
Moscow has also publicly warned Washington against the designation, pointing out it would mean a complete rupture of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Accusing Russia of grave atrocities, war crimes, and even genocide in Ukraine, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, and Democrat Richard Blumenthal introduced on Wednesday the bipartisan ‘Russia is a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act’ bill.
The new legislation was looking to bypass the State Department and administration and unilaterally declare Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Going as far as to personally label the Russian president a terrorist, Sen. Graham said that during the war in Ukraine, Putin has crossed every line of civilized norms, claiming the bill would be a game changer in how the world deals with terrorists.
They also introduced a non-binding resolution earlier this year to designate Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Only four countries so far have been designated as state sponsors of terrorism by the US: Iran, Syria, North Korea, and Cuba.
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