Senators urge US Congress to declare Russia sponsor of terrorism after its deal with DPRK

Voice of America reports.

The bill was presented on June 20 by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal from both leading parties of the US Congress.

"The fact that he (Putin - ed.) was bold enough to sign a defence deal with North Korea... one of the most repressive regimes on the planet means that we have lost our deterrence... I urge the administration, given what Putin did yesterday, to go all-in and recognise his regime for what it is: a state sponsor of terrorism," Graham said.

At the same time, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal stressed that the agreement signed between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un is "deeply frightening" and "hostile to the United States, peace, freedom, and justice around the world."

The authors of the bill also mention a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 in the prerequisites that qualify Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

In addition, the senators propose to include the poisoning of Viktor Yushchenko in 2004, the poisoning of former Russian FSB officer Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 350 in the Donetsk region in 2014, and support for the bombing of Aleppo in Syria in 2016 as evidence of Russia's terrorist activities.

The list also includes the poisoning of former Russian military officer and British double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK in 2018 and the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2024.

When asked when the bill could be put to a vote, the senators said it would happen "sooner rather than later".

• In February 2024, the head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said that the failure to recognise Russia as a sponsor of terrorism poses serious risks, especially for civilised countries.