The White House said on Tuesday that President Biden has decided not to designate Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism” despite pressure from Congress to slap the label on Moscow.
When asked by reporters on Monday if he would make the designation, Biden simply replied, “no.” Following up on his comment, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that labeling Russia a state sponsor of terror was “not the most effective or strongest path forward.”
She said the designation could hamper aid deliveries in parts of Ukraine and jeopardize the grain deal between Russia and Ukraine that was brokered by Turkey and the UN.
Congress has been pushing hard for the designation, and the Senate passed a resolution that called for the administration to take the step, but the resolution was non-binding.
Currently, only Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria are labeled by the State Department as state sponsors of terror, which expands sanctions against the targeted nations. Cuba was removed from the list by the Obama administration but was re-designated by the Trump administration in one of its last foreign policy moves.
Since Russia is already under so many sanctions, the designation would have little impact on Moscow. But it would signal that US-Russia relations won’t be repaired for years to come as such designations are usually difficult to reverse.
A prudent move by the administration…
It is interesting to see the US definition of terrorism as it seems to be very selective and fearful of any “enemy” it designates. 60 years against tiny Cuba has NOT led to “régime change”, North Korea still has its nukes, Iran could be a Western partner if not for Israeli/US decisions and illegal sanctions, and Syria has been destroyed as much as the USA could manage and the USA steals its oil and land- this is democracy and freedom from a moral nation. Syria still has its leader despite US actions and Israeli attacks and long-term takeover of the Golan Heights. Terrorism??? The US Congress needs to do something to bring the USA into the modern world of sovereign states!!!
Well, at least SOME sanity. A false “terrorist” label would shut off diplomacy.
Social Democrat parties in Europe are screaming out their hatred of conservative Russia. They now have an opportunity to sound as murderous as they want. They say NATO should be used to attack Russians and applaud the destruction of opposition media in Ukraine. They say it’s a fight against “racism” and “fascism” and Russia is “a threat to our democratic order”.
One socialist writer says Russians should be “corraled”. What does that mean? It’s just meant to sound demeaning and mocking. They can now write whatever and don’t have to explain anything. They hate Russia ever since it banned homosexual groups from trying to recruit children in schools.
That Biden at least keeps the minimum requirement for diplomacy is a welcome ember of sanity on the socialist side.
Diplomacy IS shut off. If it was open, there would have been a diplomatic means to prevent the Russian incursion, and, the April negotiations would not have been shut down by Boris and the U.S., and, there would be a cease fire and negotiations right this minute.
If they are, we are. Only we are much, much “better” at it. We do “shock and awes”. Oh, and our little parasite attached to our underbelly is right there with us.
It is a courtesy great powers extend to each other. In truth the amount of terror Russia has caused around the planet pales compared to the amount of terror we have caused.
Russia has intervened in a civil war to protect ethnic Russians from ethnic cleansing and genocide. It is US/NATO occupying Ukraine since the coup detat in 2014. Half of Ukraine want their sovereignty back and they need to evict NATO powers, which Russia is assisting them with, ie Disarm & DeNazification of Ukraine.
Obama himself admitted he overthrew Yanuchovich. Its not that Obama wanted to kill all the ethnic Russians, if they fled to Russia that achieved the same goal. Obama needed to ethnically cleanse the Donbass to ensure that the Racist/Fascist Junta he placed in power could stay in power. The Russian speakers in Ukraine held the balance of power and had to be removed if the Junta was to stay in power. If they wouldn’t leave then the NATO Junta would have to murder/subjugate them all. The Rand Corporation documented the process prior to the events.
The SMO occurred after 2 prior civil wars in the Donbass which lead to 2 peace agreements that western powers broke. Remember the Minsk agreements? Brokered by Russia and were suppose to lead to peace.
We, the Golden Billion, are supreme international criminals. Russia has operated entirely within international law when it intervened to protect the ethnic Russians from genocide. NATO/Banderite Ukraine however is a disgrace, the Hague awaits.
And now Putin has announced that Ukraine isn’t a real country. So I say f him and lets give Ukraine all the help they need until the Russians are on the Russian side of the border as agreed in 1999. Now once that is done, you will have a country like many countries on this planet with more than one ethnic group/tribe/religion and they will just have to figure out how to get along. Invading other peoples countries is a big no-no.
In total, 290 airplanes and 152 helicopters, 1,889 unmanned aerial vehicles, 373 air defence missile systems, 4,845 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 825 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 3,369 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 5,343 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.
Each tank price is approx. US$6 million. So there is plenty of money being issued just not for health care, education, infrastructure, heating, fuel etc etc etc.
US has not supplied Ukraine with any tanks those are Russian loses and we aren’t paying for those
Its the latest update from the Russian MOD. Kind of childish to say otherwise. Ukraine is a failed state, its now a NATO proxy and being destroyed from within. Funnily enough NATO is destroying Europe too. Unintended consequences can bite.
The Nazi state is now calling for conscription of woman. But hey you keep supporting the Banderite Nazi’s and pushing for the death of the Moskals” and eventually Ukraine will not exist.
The loving and caring Banderite Nazi’s are shelling a nuclear facility using British-made Brimstone missiles and US M777 howitzers.
They were using good guy weapons lovingly crafted to only do good in the world. Nuclear terrorism makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
They also attempted to kidnap the IAEA party visiting the NPP nuclear power plant. Luckily the Russian Forces were on the ball and protected the inspectors.