Designating Russia as state sponsor of terror could harm Ukraine, world: US

WASHINGTON

Designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism "could have unintended consequences to Ukraine and the world," the White House said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters, spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said "it is not the most effective or strongest path forward" to hold Russia accountable.

"According to humanitarian experts and NGOs we have spoken to, it could seriously affect the ability to deliver the assistance in areas of Ukraine. Another one is 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 port deal," she added.

"It would also undercut our unprecedented multilateral condition that has been so effective to holding Putin accountable and could also undermine our ability to support Ukraine at the negotiation table. So, again, we do not think this is the most effective way to go or the strongest path forward," the spokeswoman said.

Her remarks came a day after Biden 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.

In July, the US Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution to designate Russia a terrorism sponsor for its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow considers the suggestion as a “propaganda move.”

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with Western nations implementing tough sanctions on Moscow.