WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 21st December, 2022) The Biden administration and Congressional leadership are in talks about introducing a bill to designate Russia as an “aggressor state” in an effort to avoid the “state sponsor of terror” label, which US officials believe is fraught with unintended consequences, The Hill reported, citing Republican congressional aides.
Zekenskyy is set to visit Washington later on Wednesday.
“Zelensky asked for the State Sponsor of Terror designation and instead the Biden Administration has told them it won’t support it, but have concocted an alternative designation that doesn’t even exist under US domestic or international law there is no legal basis for it,” a congressional aide familiar with the discussions told the newspaper.
The official called it a “half-baked PR measure that won’t do anything to punish Russia, nor help the Ukrainian people.
“
If enacted, the measure will enable the US president to designate Russia an aggressor state. The president will also be able to designate any foreign country an aggressor state if he determines that it is involved in acts of aggression against Ukraine, according to the newspaper.
The document will also allow the president to impose sanctions on any individual responsible for or involved in the crime of aggression.
Ukrainian officials told the newspaper that the status of an “aggressor state” does not satisfy their requests, but said they support the measure and may generally support creating a separate term if it provides additional tools to punish “aggressor states.”
