Russia should not be designated state sponsor of terrorism, says US president

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) – 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.

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.