European Parliament declares Russia ‘state sponsor of terrorism’

On 23 November, the European Parliament declared Russia to be a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ in response to recent military targets on civil targets in Ukraine, including power stations, hospitals and schools. While this act – a step that Ukraine’s President Zelensky urged nations to take when he appeared before the United Nations General Assembly in September – will not generate new sanctions, analysts say it will increase pressure on lawmakers to do so.

The United States has thus far desisted from making the designation. In September, after US President Biden was pressed on the matter, a spokesperson for the White House told reporters,

‘This designation could have unintended consequences to Ukraine, and the world. For example, according to humanitarian experts and NGOs we have spoken to, it could seriously affect the ability to deliver assistance in areas of Ukraine [and] it could drive critical humanitarian and commercial actors away from facilitating food exports to help mitigate the global food crisis and jeopardize the Black Sea ports deal that has already led to over a million tons of Ukrainian food exports reaching the world, including those in Horn of Africa.

‘It will also undercut unprecedented multilateral conditions that have been so effective in holding [Russian President Vladimir] Putin accountable and could also undermine our ability to support Ukraine at the negotiating table,’ she said. ‘So, again, we do not think this is the most effective way to go, or the strongest path forward.’

However, the veteran Republican senator Lindsay Graham introduced a bill in July which, if passed, would call on the US Secretary of State to pursue the same designation.

Shortly after the designation, the EU Parliament website was attacked and disabled, reportedly by a pro-Kremlin organisation.