The US president on Monday said Russia should not be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, a label Ukraine has pushed for amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, while Russia warned it would rupture US-Russia ties, according to Reuters.
Asked if Russia should be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, Joe Biden told reporters at the White House: “No.”
In July, the US Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution to designate Russia a terrorism sponsor for its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Let's keep the pressure up and hope Russia will be labeled a "state sponsor of terrorism" soon enough. Russia has been a state sponsor of terrorism as long as the country has been around so it's just a matter of political will to declare it. https://t.co/yf5ozNROH8
— Anders Östlund – Ї △ (@andersostlund) September 6, 2022
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow considers the recent statement by Washington that it is mulling the addition of Russia to the list of state sponsors of terrorism as a “propaganda move.”
The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough sanctions against Moscow.
Russia blacklists US citizens
Moscow on Monday blacklisted 25 US citizens including actor Sean Penn in response to Washington’s “constantly expanding sanctions” against Russian citizens.
According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the group put on the “stop list” includes members of the US Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as public figures.
Read more: Russia-Ukraine war and the essence of nuclear deterrence
“The hostile actions of the American authorities, which continue to follow a Russophobic course, destroying bilateral ties and escalating confrontation between Russia and the United States, will continue to receive a decisive rebuff,” the statement said.
Anadolu with additional input by GVS News Desk