European Parliament Designates Russia A 'State Sponsor Of Terrorism', 494 Members Vote In Favour
|The EU, the US, and the United Kingdom have already imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine in a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War early this year on February 24.
The European Parliament designated Russia a "state sponsor of terrorism," stating Moscow's military strikes in Ukraine on civilian targets such as hospitals, schools, shelters, and energy infrastructure violated human rights and international humanitarian laws. The European lawmakers passed the resolution on Wednesday, declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, with 494 members voting in favour, 58 against it, and 44 abstaining.
The resolution stated, "The deliberate attacks and atrocities carried out by the Russian Federation against the civilian population of Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and other serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law amount to acts of terror," quoted Al Jazeera.
EP Plenary has 🗳️voted and declared 🇷🇺 Russia a state sponsor of terrorism
— European Parliament Audiovisual Service (@europarlAV) November 23, 2022
🎥Watch & download the video of the vote: https://t.co/rtimidIhST pic.twitter.com/QGfwl6u9pt
Zelensky Welcomes The Resolution
However, the action is predominantly symbolic, as the European Union (EU) does not have a legal framework to back it up. At the same time, the alliance has already imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow over its military invasion of Kyiv early this year on February 24.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the resolution and said, "Russia must be isolated at all levels and held accountable." He has urged the United States (US) and other nations to follow suit, accusing Russian forces of targeting civilians, an allegation that Moscow denies, reported Reuters.
I welcome @Europarl_EN decision to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and as a state which uses means of terrorism. Russia must be isolated at all levels and held accountable in order to end its long-standing policy of terrorism in Ukraine and across the globe.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 23, 2022
Unprecedented Sanctions On Russia
The EU, the US, and the United Kingdom have already imposed unprecedented sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine in a significant escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
But Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, has so far denied placing Russia on a "terrorism" list despite resolutions in both chambers of Congress urging him to do so. The US State Department currently considers four countries: Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria as "state sponsors of terrorism", implying they are subject to financial restrictions and defence export bans.
According to the European Parliamentary Research Service, so far, four members, that is, the parliaments of four countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, have designated Vladimir Putin-led Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism".
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