The American administration estimated on Tuesday, September 6 that it would be counterproductive in the current state to qualify Russia as a “
State sponsoring terrorism
”, thus rejecting calls to this effect from Kiev and American parliamentarians.
Asked about this on Monday, US President Joe Biden had dropped a laconic "
no
", breaking months of American procrastination, at least publicly.
On Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, who was asked to explain President Biden's response, said such a qualification "
was not the most effective or the most strong to hold Russia to account
" for its invasion of Ukraine.
The official said in particular that this could harm efforts to get humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Such qualification could also "
undermine the unprecedented multilateral (coalition) that has been so effective in holding (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to account and our ability to support Ukraine
" in the negotiations, she added.
Coming from the world's largest economy, qualifying a state as "
supporting terrorism
has far-reaching consequences, including exposing U.S. banks and corporations to legal action.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded at the end of June that Russia be recognized as a "
State sponsor of terrorism
", the day after a Russian strike on a shopping center that killed at least 18 people.
For their part, American parliamentarians, including the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, pleaded for such a qualification in order to increase the pressure on Moscow more than six months after its invasion of Ukraine.
In mid-August, the Latvian Parliament had qualified Russia as a “
State supporting terrorism
”, whose acts in Ukraine constitute a “
targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people
”, in a declaration immediately welcomed by Kiev and denounced by Moscow.
Only four countries in the world are currently designated by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba.
