EU Parliament to vote on labeling Russia 'state sponsor of terrorism'

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The European Parliament will vote on a resolution to label Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism" on Wednesday, November 23, Delphine Colard, the Head of Spokesperson’s Unit and Deputy Spokesperson said on Friday. 

In a significantly symbolic move, the conservative European People's Party Group put the designation to debate in October as a response to the military conflict in Ukraine and was supported by other large parties.

"On Wednesday, the members of parliament will vote on a resolution that designates Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism in light of intensified Russian attacks on civilian targets," Colard told reporters.  

The parliament will convene in Strasbourg for a 4-day plenary session starting Monday, November 21. 

The draft resolution, which the parliament released, includes the penalties Russia could face if labeled.

"The European Parliament... declares the Russian Federation to be a terrorist state... encourages the European Council and the EU Member States... to implement effective measures to comprehensively isolate it internationally," the draft read.  

The draft resolution includes possible financial penalties against Russia, such as using the country's frozen state and private assets to compensate for damages inflicted upon Ukraine.

The parliament's decisions are not legally binding, but the European Union's executive takes them into consideration when shaping foreign policies. Josep Borrell conceded in October that the EU did not have a legal framework in place to enforce the designation of a third country as a state sponsor of terror.

Pelosi: If Blinken doesn't label Russia terrorist state, Congress will

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatened US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that if his department does not designate Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism", Congress would go ahead and make that designation itself, Politico reported in July, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The Secretary of State is the only US authority with a mandate to designate states as sponsors of terror. However, some members of Congress believe there are no legal barriers to the body passing a relevant law and designating Russia without authorization from the State Department, Politico said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the US to designate Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism" in mid-April, appealing to US President Joe Biden to make the designation. The Ukrainian parliament reiterated the call in early May.

Several US senators proceeded to promptly draft a relevant resolution, but the State Department proved to be reluctant in proceeding with the designation.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in mid-April that officials at his department were looking into the possibility of placing Russia on the list.

Lithuania has become the first country in the world to name Russia as a terrorist sponsor and executor, according to Ukraine's Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

The Lithuanian parliament unanimously passed a resolution in May designating Russia as a "state that supports and perpetrates terrorist operations."

The decision by the Lithuanian parliament to name Russia a "terrorist state" is radical, according to Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Vladimir Dzhabarov, the first deputy head of the Russian upper chamber's international affairs committee, stated that the Lithuanian parliament's decision to label Russia as a "terrorist state" can lead to a rupture of economic ties between the countries.