By BRUSSELS. Nov 22 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Parliament has recognized the Russian Federation as a state sponsoring terrorism and a state that uses means of terrorism, calling for its comprehensive international isolation.
The corresponding resolution was voted on Wednesday in Strasbourg within the framework of the European Parliament’s plenary session.
The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority, according to European Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola.
"[The European Parliament] underlines that the deliberate attacks and atrocities carried out by the Russian Federation against the civilian population of Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and other serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law amount to acts of terror against the Ukrainian population and constitute war crimes; expresses its unreserved outrage at and condemnation of these attacks and atrocities and the other acts that Russia has committed in pursuit of its destructive political aims in Ukraine and on the territory of other countries; in the light of the above, recognises Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and as a state which uses means of terrorism," according to the resolution.
In addition, the European Parliament called on the Council to include in the list of individuals, groups and organizations involved in terrorist activities (the EU terrorist list) the so-called Wagner Group and the 141st Special Motorized Regiment, known as the Kadyrovites, as well as other Russian-funded armed groups, militias and proxy.
The European Parliament considered it necessary that the EU and member states develop a legal framework for identifying states as sponsors of terrorism and states using means of terrorism, which "will would trigger a number of significant restrictive measure against those countries and would have profound restrictive implications for EU relations with those countries; calls on the Council to subsequently consider adding the Russian Federation to such an EU list of state sponsors of terrorism; calls on the EU’s partners to adopt similar measures," the resolution details.
The European Parliament also urged the EU and its member states to take action to initiate a "comprehensive international isolation" of the Russian Federation, including with regard to Russia’s membership in international organizations and bodies such as the UN Security Council, and urged to refrain from holding any official events on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The European Parliament also called for a further reduction in diplomatic relations with Russia and "for contacts with its official representatives at all levels to be kept to the absolute minimum necessary; calls on EU Member States to close and ban Russian state-affiliated institutions, such as the Russian Centres for Science and Culture and Russian diaspora organisations and associations, which operate under the auspices and leadership of Russian diplomatic missions and promote Russian state propaganda around the world."
The European Parliament reiterated its unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and reiterated its condemnation of Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine.
"[The European Parliament] demands that Russia and its proxy forces cease all military actions, in particular the attacks against residential areas and civilian infrastructure, and that Russia withdraw all military forces, proxies and military equipment from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine, end the forced deportations of Ukrainian civilians and the forced adoptions of Ukrainian children, release all the persons it has detained in Ukraine and permanently cease violating or threatening the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the European Parliament said.
