Pelosi appealed to Blinken to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, or, she said, Congress would do it.
If the US State Department does not recognize Russia as a sponsoring state terrorism due to the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, this can be done by the American Congress. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi stated this in a conversation with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Politico reports citing sources.
Congress has given the Secretary of State the authority to recognize the relevant country as a state sponsor of terrorism. However, some members of Congress say lawmakers could pass legislation to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism without the State Department, thereby increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin on his own.
“There is no legal reason why Congress could not pass legislation that would effectively recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Passing legislation by Congress is obviously a more difficult path than a corresponding decision by the Secretary of State, but it will give the US administration the necessary political background to increase economic pressure and rhetoric against Putin,” said a representative of the Democratic Party.
Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate insist on recognizing the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, which will force the US government to control foreign aid, reduce the export and sale of defense products, and establish control over the export of dual-use goods.
According to the State Department, granting the Russian Federation such “status” also “includes other sanctions laws that punish individuals and countries that conduct trade with state sponsors of terrorism,” meaning that the U.S. may have to expand its sanctions more, than on individual sectors of the Russian economy. The current four countries designated by the U.S. as state sponsors of terrorism—Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria—have weaker trade ties to the world than Russia.
This may explain why the State Department has long been skeptical of such a step.
“The sanctions that we have introduced are the same steps that would involve recognizing the state as a sponsor of terrorism. We will carefully consider all potential options. This is one of them,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in April.
However, some experts say the move will increase pressure on the Kremlin and make any relationship with Russia nearly impossible for US citizens.
“Recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism would be important because it is a broad step. This introduces a risk to all relations with the Russian Federation,” said Edward Fishman, an expert on sanctions at the Atlantic Council think tank.
At the same time, he noted that the US Congress has not yet taken serious steps to punish Russia. As for secondary sanctions and beyond, “having congressional recognition makes those sanctions much more effective,” Fishman says.
Russian forces have attacked many civilian targets, including schools and hospitals, as well as places where civilians have been hiding. residents The invasion of the Russian Federation led to countless deaths among the civilian population of Ukraine.
“Russia is destroying our people,” Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska said in Congress.
If any resolution on Capitol Hill is passed — or full recognition as a sponsor of terrorism passes through both houses of Congress — Blinken may feel more pressure to side with lawmakers and give the Russian Federation “appropriate status,” the publication summarizes.
Read also: In winter, the International Criminal Court will issue the first indictments on Russia's crimes in Ukraine – Bloomberg
Should Ukraine seek international recognition of Russia as a terrorist state? Or maybe it would be better to be a state sponsor of terrorism? What is the difference between these terms, and, in general, should Ukraine spend energy and time on this direction of struggle with the Russian Federation? Read in the article Gunduza Mammadov “How should we punish Russia”.
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