Blinken: U.S. government working with Congress on legislation to designate Russia as state sponsor of terrorism

The U.S. administration is working with the U.S. Congress on an alternative form of a bill that would allow designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism without the critical consequences that could arise from the introduction of this status.

U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said this in an interview with CNN, Ukrinform reports.

“We’re working with Congress right now on legislation that would help us get around some of the challenges of using the State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, which, as you said, has some unintended consequences,” he said.

Blinken also stressed that the U.S. administration is constantly looking at different measures that it can take to increase the pressure on Russia over its crimes in Ukraine. 

“As to sanctions, we have leveled unprecedented sanctions against Russia, unprecedented export controls, all of that in coordination with dozens of countries,” he noted.

Blinken reminded he had just returned from meetings at NATO in Bucharest.  “The solidarity among the NATO partners, the G7 partners is very strong and resolute,” he said.

As Ukrinform reported, on November 23, the European Parliament approved a resolution recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Previously, the parliaments of Latvia and Estonia separately declared the Russian Federation as a sponsor of terrorism. In addition, the Senate of Poland recognized the Russian government as a terrorist regime.