Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a direct appeal to US President Joe Biden for the United States to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, one of the most powerful and far-reaching sanctions in the US arsenal, The Washington Post reported on Friday.
Zelenskyy’s request, which has not previously been reported, came during a recent phone call with Biden that centered on the West’s multifaceted response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, people familiar with the conversation told the newspaper.
Biden did not commit to specific actions during the call, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The president has told his Ukrainian counterpart he is willing to explore a range of proposals to exert greater pressure on Moscow, they added.
The Washington Post noted that even during the Cold War, Washington refrained from designating the Soviet Union in this manner despite Moscow’s support for groups considered terrorist actors throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Such a measure could have a range of impacts, including the imposition of economic penalties on dozens of other nations that continue to do business with Russia, the freezing of Moscow’s assets in the United States, including real estate, and the prohibition of a variety of dual-use exports.
The label, which requires a finding by the Secretary of State, can be applied to any country that has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism,” according to a State Department fact sheet. The list currently names four countries: North Korea, Cuba, Iran and Syria.
Earlier this week, Biden toughened his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine.
Biden, while delivering remarks in Menlo, Iowa, accused Putin of committing genocide in Ukraine as he blamed the Russian President for recent price hikes at the pump.
"Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away," he said.
Zelenskyy later praised Biden and tweeted, “True words of a true leader. Calling things by their names is essential to stand up to evil. We are grateful for US assistance provided so far and we urgently need more heavy weapons to prevent further Russian atrocities.”
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat and Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
