Is a country’s Army committing acts of terrorism when it attacks civilian infrastructures to leave the population without water, electricity or food? What is really gained by describing a country as a terrorist? This is the debate that has dominated the international political agenda in recent days, when the Russian Armed Forces intensified their bombardment of different parts of Ukraine far from the front line, with the clear aim of harming the civilian population. On the one hand, there is the president of Ukraine and the closest countries, especially the former Soviet republics, who demand that Russia be classified as a terrorist state. On the other hand, the United States and several members of the larger European Union, avoid using this definition as it has legal and strategic implications directly. First and foremost, the obligation to break all channels of diplomatic communication.
The meeting of NATO lawmakers in Madrid this Monday concluded with a petition calling on member states and their parliaments to “openly affirm that the Russian state is terrorist under the current regime”. Suppose “despicable” deliberate attacks” on civilians and infrastructure acts of terrorism against the people and war crimes”, read the Alliance Assembly resolution.
Regarding the last part, war crimes, there seems to be general agreement among the Allies. For example, Spain does not send forensic experts only to gather evidence of war crimes committed by the invading Army in places like Irpin, Bucha or Izium. Also officially joined demand of the international community A lawsuit was filed against President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Forty countries are asking court prosecutors to investigate these possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. There are more than 40,000 specific cases reported that need to be investigated. The same court, for example, convicted Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic as war criminals in the Balkan war.
But it is one thing to define a leader or army as guilty of war crimes, it is another thing to define them as terrorist states or states that sponsor terrorism. The United States has included only four in this category: Syriadefined as such in 1979; Iranianin 1984; North Koreain 2017; Y Cuba, in 2021. A mandate of the “minister of foreign affairs” (minister of foreign affairs) when he thinks he supports acts of international terrorism. And then Washington is obliged to enforce three specific laws that impose financial sanctions on them, prohibiting American companies from selling weapons to them or getting any kind of aid.
The United States Congress has asked Joe Biden and his secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to designate Russia as a state sponsoring terrorism now. However, the president He flatly refused.. The White House explains that such an appointment would have the opposite effect, as it could block aid delivery to some war-ravaged areas of Ukraine and make it harder for companies or NGOs to participate in an agreement negotiated by the United Nations and Turkey. Export grains from blocked ports from Ukraine. Moreover, they claim this will undermine “an unprecedented multilateral coalition”. In other words, it can alienate countries that do not have such a clearly predefined position. This weakens the diplomatic power of Washington, Brussels and other allies when it comes to putting pressure on Putin.
“I understand the reluctance in the US: it needs to leave some doors open to ensure there is dialogue, for example, to prevent a nuclear escalation,” he told EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA. Charly Salonius-Pasternak, analyst at the Finnish Institute of International Relations. “It is unproductive for them and sets a precedent with clear diplomatic and legal implications.”
According to knowledgeable diplomatic sources, this channel remains open, as was evident in the behind-the-scenes talks during the G-20.
Also, if a country is sanctioned by the United States for sponsoring terrorism, the results are filtered down to a fraction of the international business structure. Those who negotiate with them will be punished. Currently, there are Western companies that maintain a commercial relationship with Russia, including at least 20 Spaniards.
The insistence of a diplomatic channel is also the reason given by Spain. Madrid welcomed the new Russian ambassador to Spain, diplomat Yuri Klimenko, who is already consul general in Barcelona.
now a punishment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had already asked the West to declare Russia a terrorist after the attacks on a train station filled with civilians last June, and now he has intensified the presence of this demand in his speech; for the last time, during a video conference last Monday where dozens of MPs from around the world gathered at a hotel in Madrid for the NATO Assembly.
“For Ukraine, this is very logical and clearly beneficial: possible war crimes trials will be held after the war; “Declaring Russia a terrorist now takes the framework to another level during the war and is a way to impose more sanctions as it forces countries to abide by certain restrictions.”
Pressure begins to rise in Europe. While presidents like France’s Emmanuel Macron have publicly refused to call Russia a terrorist, the European Parliament voted this Wednesday in favor of describing Russia as a “State”. a person who promotes terrorism using the means of terrorismA resolution that received the support of the majority groups of the European Parliament with 494 votes in favor, 58 against and 44 abstentions.
The EU, unlike the United States, does not have a legal framework that determines the consequences of considering a State as a terrorist. Therefore, the Parliament demanded that such a mechanism be developed along with restrictive measures such as a full embargo on Russia’s hydrocarbon and uranium imports or the complete abandonment of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, as well as penalizing such sectors. Increase sanctions against diamonds and cryptocurrencies.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, He took into account the decision of the Parliament and verbally accused Putin of carrying out “terrorist attacks” against the civilian population.
Lithuania has already taken the step. In June, he acknowledged that Russia’s use of violence against civilians to achieve its political goals is terrorism. He urged other countries to do the same. “For years, Russia has supported and financed terrorist regimes and organizations,” the Lithuanian Parliament Saeima said in a statement. “He has been the largest arms supplier to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regime and has attacked sovereign countries, including the poisoning of the Skripal family on UK soil or the downing of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 plane, which has given life to 298 people”.
Moscow ridiculed all these attempts. He defined the Eurocamara as an organism. “Sponsor of Stupidity”. The Wagner mercenary group has sent a mace with fake blood traces to the headquarters of the European Parliament, a clear threat: this Kremlin-backed group executes traitors and enemies with blows to the head.