Two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new defense agreement, Senators Lindsey Graham (RS.C) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a bill to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
Holding a photo of Kim and Putin to begin the press conference to unveil the bill, Blumenthal said: “Exhibit A. I rest my case.”
Blumenthal described the photo of Putin and Kim as a representation of “two of the world’s most autocratic and atrocity-committing leaders together.”
He also said the message sent by the US labeling Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism was as important as the increased sanctions resulting from the designation.
“This message to the world is as important in a moral sense as any practical consequence. Russia deserves to be in this small selective club of murderers who commit atrocities,” said the Democrat.
Graham introduced a Senate resolution during the last Congress to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. This resolution passed the Senate, but was not binding, calling only on the Secretary of State to make the distinction himself.
The bill introduced Thursday would require the State Department to classify Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, which would unlock a new set of sanctions, restrict any U.S.-based foreign aid and severely reduce Russia’s immunity from actions. courts in the USA.
If the bill passes, US citizens would be able to sue a state sponsor of terrorism for crimes such as torture, extrajudicial killings and hostage taking.
If these lawsuits prevail, plaintiffs could obtain compensation from the sanctioned nation’s seized assets.
In the past, a court ordered Iran almost pay 9 billion dollars to the victims of the bombing of a US Navy barracks in Lebanon and North Korea to pay more than 500 million dollars to the family of student Otto Warmbier, who died in North Korean custody.
Under the resolution, Graham and Blumenthal would allow diplomatic exceptions and the elimination of agriculture and medical trade. The bill also allows the president to determine that Russia is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism and quickly remove the designation without congressional approval.
Only four nations are currently designated by the US as sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Syria.
Ukraine, which has called on the US to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, is in its third year of defending against Russian invasion. Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine, and the UN, Western nations and Ukraine have accused Russia of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including mass rapes, summary executions, extrajudicial killings and the use of chemical weapons.
The US and Western allies have imposed an escalating cascade of sanctions on Russia since 2014, when the country annexed Crimea, isolating Russia’s economy from the West.
“We are not trying to be provocative by labeling Putin as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Graham said. “After the defense agreement between North Korea and Russia, it is time for us to react. Now is the moment above all other moments. So I would urge the administration, given what Putin did yesterday, to go all in and call his regime what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism.”
“Here’s a general rule: Anyone who makes a defense deal with North Korea must be a state sponsor,” he added.
Putin’s visit to North Korea marked the first time a Russian president had visited that country in 24 years. During the meeting, Putin and Kim announced a new partnership, promising mutual aid and protection.
Blumenthal said he spoke with the Biden administration about the resolution, saying they were “sympathetic to the goal.”
“We will continue to work with them,” he added. “I think now is the time to move on. And they understand that we may have differences of approach or opinions, and I think they respect us for what we’re trying to do.”
The EU Parliament declared Russia will be a state sponsor of terrorism in 2022.
Graham and Blumenthal also made clear that this resolution “does not replace” continued military aid to Ukraine. The US approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine in May.
“This is not a substitute for providing military aid,” Blumenthal said.
Laura Kelly contributed.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
