The European Parliament recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism
On November 23, the European Parliament voted in favor of a resolution declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism for its all-out war against Ukraine and war crimes committed in Ukraine over the past nine months. Voting took place around noon.
On November 17, after four hours of discussions, the text of the resolution was agreed upon.
“The European Parliament strongly condemns the war crimes and acts of terror against the civilian population, committed by the Russian Federation and its henchmen to achieve destructive political goals in Ukraine and on the territory of other countries, and recognizes Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses terrorist methods,” the statement said. texts
This was done “in an attempt to prepare the ground for President Putin and his government to be held accountable before an international tribunal,” according to a press release that preceded the vote.
The MEPs indicated that their resolution was a reaction to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s April call to recognize the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Deutsche Welle writes that this resolution apparently “will have no legal consequences”, including because the European Parliament “has limited influence on EU foreign policy issues”.
According to the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson, currently the EU does not have a legal basis for recognizing a third country as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU Vsevolod Chentsov, responding to this, said in October that official Kyiv “does not accept arguments that such practice or legislation does not exist; it is necessary to… create an appropriate basis for this.”
- On October 13, 2022, the PACE voted for a resolution calling the regime in the Russian Federation terrorist.
- As of the end of November, the parliaments of Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia did the same.
- Despite calls, in particular from the Senate, the White House avoids applying such a term to the Russian Federation, because it is allegedly “not the best way” to bring the Kremlin to justice.
- The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuleba, does not give up – he says, we have heard “no” before. Earlier, he explained that he would recognize Russia as a sponsor of terrorism.
- Syria, Iran, Cuba and North Korea are on the US list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
- The European Parliament wants Wagner’s Kremlin PMC to be recognized as a terrorist organization.
