The US is working on alternatives to the status of “state sponsor of terrorism” for the Russian Federation.

The US Congress is considering the possibility of finding a new category for the status of the Russian Federation, calling it an “aggressor state,” a “terrorist state,” or an “aggressor state that commits terrorist acts against the civilian population” said Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova. As she explained, there is the state sponsor of terrorism status, which currently denotes four countries: North Korea, Syria, Cuba, and Iran. Ukraine has been negotiating with its colleagues and partners for a long time to add the Russian Federation to this list. However, Russia is not a sponsor of terrorism, but it is a terrorist itself. A country with an army, government, and president engaged in aggression and terrorism, the ambassador emphasized. Therefore, the question of what status to give the Russian Federation and what its ramifications will be is currently being discussed.