Ukraine expects stronger US action against Russia, including terror sponsor designation
Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna (Photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine expects the US Congress to pass a law that will strengthen sanctions against Russia, as well as a resolution recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, states Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna.
She emphasized that Ukraine continues to enjoy strong bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress.
The ambassador said that they had strong bipartisan support and cooperation, and that they had just held a Senate hearing on abducted Ukrainian children, where she and her colleagues from various sectors in Ukraine had given testimony.
In this context, Stefanishyna expressed hope that the US Senate will pass a law recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, in particular, based on the abducted Ukrainian children.
The diplomat emphasized that they were also working with the House of Representatives and the Senate to mobilize bipartisan unity around the sanctions bill (the Graham-Blumenthal Act), and that they should not wait for more promises of tomorrow from Russia, since Russia had already committed many crimes.
The ambassador also noted that Moscow did not reach an agreement with the US ahead of the Alaska summit, failed to hold the announced meeting in Budapest, Hungary, and could not conduct sincere negotiations regarding the new 28-point American peace plan.
Stefanishyna concluded that this was enough and that President Trump should have more leverage, adding that she believed the Senate could provide him with such tools for further negotiations.
In September, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and several other US lawmakers introduced a new bill aimed at increasing pressure on Russia.
According to Axios, the bill provides for recognizing Russia and Belarus as state sponsors of terrorism if more than 19,000 children, who were illegally taken during the full-scale war, are not returned.
Notably, on Wednesday, December 3, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution demanding that Russia immediately return all Ukrainian children.
