After Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal compared Moscow’s activities to terrorism and genocide, White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Sunday that President Biden is unsure about whether Russia should be given the title of a state supporter of terrorism, Fox News informed.
Sullivan was asked during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” why Biden hasn’t put Russia to the list of countries that support terrorism along with Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria.
According to Sullivan, President Biden has stated that he is unsure whether the state sponsor of terrorism designation in particular is appropriate given the situation with Russia.
The national security adviser said that the Biden administration’s punishing sanctions against Russia went well beyond what the United States has done with some of the other nations currently on the list.
Therefore, practically speaking, the president has not held back at all, according to Sullivan, whether we’re speaking about rejecting Russia access to the tools it needs to strengthen its economic system and its defense manufacturing capacity, cutting off its banks from the global financial system, or imposing personal sanctions on significant oligarchs.
While the United States will continue to communicate with Ukrainians about this issue, Sullivan said that they wholeheartedly concur with the prime minister of Ukraine and that they will increase the pressure they are already applying to Russia economically.
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, threatened to use nuclear weapons last week as the Ukrainian military kept up a strong counteroffensive.
Additionally, he started the conscription of 300,000 citizens and started pressuring a referendum on annexation in order to take control of certain regions of Ukraine.
Sullivan responded that the last two measures demonstrate Putin is out of alternatives but still poses a threat when asked if they indicate that he is losing the war.
According to Sullivan, this is a hint that Putin is having a very difficult time in Ukraine, that the Russian army is having a very difficult time, and that the Russian President is left with few options since he genuinely does not want to have to go into mobilization.
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