• Tuesday, 24 December 2024

European Parliament says Russia 'uses means of terrorism'

European Parliament says Russia 'uses means of terrorism'

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday in Strasbourg to recognize Russia as a state that “uses means of terrorism” and as a state sponsor of terrorism, a press release said.

A total of 494 lawmakers backed the non-binding resolution, while 58 voted against it and 44 members of parliament abstained. "As the EU currently cannot officially designate states as sponsors of terrorism, Parliament calls on the EU and its member states to put in place the proper legal framework and consider adding Russia to such a list," the press release said. "This would trigger a number of significant restrictive measures against Moscow and have profound restrictive implications for EU relations with Russia." With their vote, parliamentarians also called on EU countries to impose further sanctions on Russia and reduce their diplomatic ties with the Kremlin.