Sens. Graham, Blumenthal call for designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism

Senators Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-N.Y., on Thursday said they would bring legislation to the floor of the U.S. Senate to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. The designation would strengthen U.S. sanctions against Russia but also issue a moral statement about Russia’s actions in Ukraine and elsewhere, Blumenthal said. He added that a bipartisan coalition of senators supported the bill.

Why are they doing this? Russia has sponsored terrorist activities around the world, Blumenthal said. He added that in Ukraine, he and other senators had seen mass graves and heard about Russian authorities kidnapping Ukrainian children and forcing them to undergo reindoctrination in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government had also crushed all political opposition within the country, and Putin had associations with the Wagner Group and other entities, Graham said.

What are the practical advantages of this designation beyond strengthening sanctions? It would provide a morale boost to Ukraine, Graham said. He added that it would also further isolate Russia on the world stage. Additionally, it would grant victims of Putin’s behavior access to American courts to seek justice there.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard and William Inboden’s conversation on The World and Everything in It podcast about Russia strengthening its ties with North Korea.