According to AFP, the European Parliament on Wednesday decided to pass a resolution denouncing Russia as a ‘state supporter of terrorism’ and a state that employs ‘means of terrorism’ due to the ‘brutal and barbaric’ crimes it has committed against Ukraine since beginning its invasion earlier this year.
‘The deliberate assaults and atrocities committed by the Russian Federation against the civilian population of Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and other serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law amount to acts of terror against the Ukrainian population and constitute war crimes,’ the European Parliament stated in a resolution.
According to the foregoing, ‘(the European Parliament) recognises Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and as a state which utilises means of terrorism,’ the resolution said. With 494 yes votes, 58 no votes, and 44 abstentions, the resolution was passed. Three resolutions from the European Conservatives and Reformists group, Renew Europe, and the European People’s Party were combined into one motion (ECR).
MEPs have denounced Russia’s ‘illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression’ against Ukraine and have accused the Russian military of numerous atrocities, including attacks on vital infrastructure, the killing of ‘thousands’ of civilians, including ‘hundreds’ of children, summary executions, kidnappings, rape, harassment, torture, mass detentions, and forced deportations. The MEPs stated that there have been over 40,000 war crimes reported in Ukraine, adding that ‘these terrible and barbaric acts are inflicting death, misery, damage, and displacement’.
What does it mean to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism?
The jurisdiction is mostly responsible. It signifies ‘repeatedly supplied assistance for acts of international terrorism’ for the United States. Only Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria are now included. If the US uses the term, it refers to limits on foreign aid, a ban on defence exports to such countries, controls on the sale of technology with a possible military purpose, and financial restraints. It also affects Russia’s sovereign immunity in US courts.
Similar legislation exists in Canada as well, denouncing ‘state supports of terrorism’. The European Union presently lacks a comprehensive database of ‘state sponsors of terrorism’ and a comparable counterterrorism tool. Russia would not necessarily suffer immediate legal repercussions. Foreign policy is still largely within the jurisdiction of the 27 member states, and the European Parliament has little influence in this area.
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