US State Department officials are looking at every tool available to them to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine, including the possibility of labeling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, according to a senior administration official. The process could take weeks before a determination is made, the official said.
Highlights
- US State Department officials are looking at every tool available to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine.
- The definition of a state sponsor of terrorism is a country that has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism,” the State Department says.
- Adding Russia to the list would be a symbolic move that would also inflict an even greater cost on Russia’s economy.
- There are only four countries that are currently labeled state sponsors of terrorism by the US: North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Syria.
- The process could take weeks before a determination is made, a senior administration official says.
- The US has already rolled out severe sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war.