The US Senate unanimously passed a resolution in which it asks the Department of State to declare Russia a country that sponsors terrorism following its actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine, actions that have lead to «the deaths of countless men, women and children».
A similar proposal was submitted to the House of Representatives. It is expected that speaker Nancy Pelosi will voice strong support for it.
Following the passing of this resolution in the Senate the pressure is on Joe Biden’s administration to declare Russia a country that sponsors terrorism alongside countries like Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria.
«Armed forces of the Russian Federation have committed numerous summary executions against innocent civilians and have attempted to cover their atrocities with mass graves across Ukraine,» the Senate’s resolution mentions.
During this Tuesday’s press-briefing, press-secretary to the Department of the State Ned Price was asked about the pressure coming from the Senate and if the administration has any concerns that future peace talks could be made more complicated by the decision to declare Russia a state sponsoring terrorism.
He said the Department of the State is responsible for approving the criteria the Congress has outlined in the law regarding the issue of status of a state sponsoring terrorism and for comparing facts on site. This process is already going, said Price.
Also read: Russia composed a network of secret agents in Ukraine prior to invasion