The signing of a partnership agreement between the Russian Federation and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should catalyze recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, according to US senators from both major parties in the US Congress.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that in addition to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the visit of dictator Vladimir Putin to the DPRK was another challenge. He said that the time has come to pass a bill recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
"The fact that he [Putin] would be bold enough to do a defense agreement with North Korea, one of the most oppressive regimes on the planet, means that we have lost to terrorists. I would urge the administration, given what Putin has done yesterday, let us go all in in designating his regime for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism," the senator declared.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal added that the agreements between Russia and the DPRK are "deeply frightening," as well as hostile to the United States and justice in the world. He also supported recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, adding that a terrorist country deserves to be "in this small selective club of atrocity committing killers."
Not just agreement
In particular, the senators said that under Putin's direction, the Russian government has facilitated acts of international terrorism against political opponents, foreign citizens, and other countries.
The prerequisites that qualify Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, according to the senators, also include:
- The poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko (Ukraine's former president - ed.) in 2004;
- The poisoning of former Federal Security Service officer Oleksandr Lytvynenko in 2006;
- The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 350 in 2014;
- Support for the aerial bombardment of Aleppo in Syria in 2016;
- The poisoning of British double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in 2018;
- The death of Alexei Navalny.
When asked when the bill would be put to a vote, the senators said it would happen sooner rather than later and added that timing predictions are dangerous in the Senate.
Blumenthal also added that there is bipartisan support in Congress for the bill to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Recognition of Russia as state sponsor of terrorism
In June 2023, the US Congress introduced a bill to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Despite bipartisan support, the document was not passed.
As noted by the US State Department, such a step could have unintended consequences.
