US House Lawmakers Propose Bill Designating Russia as State Sponsor of Terrorism - Reports

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Five members of the US House of Representatives will soon introduce a bill designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism alongside countries like Syria and Iran, Politico reported.
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If approved by both the House and Senate, President Joe Biden could add Russia to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which could serve to bolster sanctions on the Russian economy and provide a legal path to sue Russia in US courts. Current countries on the list include Syria, Iran, Cuba and North Korea.
The legislation is being pushed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers: Representatives Ted Lieu, Joe Wilson, Jared Golden, Adam Kinzinger, and Tom Malinowski, according to the report.
The Senate earlier on Thursday approved a non-binding resolution asking the State Department to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine.
Moscow has repeatedly spoken against the US initiatives to label Russia as a sponsor of terrorism, emphasizing that such a move may deal a fatal blow to bilateral relations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova likened such a designation as "propaganda coup" and a "smear campaign."
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