The White House explained the reasons why US President Joe Biden refused to discuss the idea of designating Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism”.
And Joe Biden was satisfied with the answer “no” to the question that journalists asked him in this regard.
According to AFP, Biden’s brief response ended months of American procrastination on the matter, at least in public.
On Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre elaborated on Biden’s statement, saying that designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism was “not the most effective and powerful way to hold that country accountable” for the war in Ukraine.
Such a move could also harm efforts to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine, he explained.
The White House spokesman added that Russia’s inclusion on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism could also “undermine the unprecedented multilateral coalition that has been so effective in holding Russian President Vladimir Putin accountable as well as our ability to support Ukraine.” “In negotiations
If the United States places a country on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, such action would have far-reaching consequences, including exposing American banks and companies to legal action.
At the end of June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Russia to be classified as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” a day after a Russian attack on a shopping mall killed at least 18 people.
In Washington, US parliamentarians, led by House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked the Biden administration to take this step to increase pressure on Moscow after more than 6 months of war.
The US list of state sponsors of terrorism currently includes only four countries: Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba.
Source: Lebanon Debate
