Thursday, July 21, 2022

U.S. House Speaker Pelosi Pressuring The White House To Label Russia A Terrorist State

Handout photo shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, during her visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 1, 2022. Pelosi is now the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Ukraine during the war, with the surprise visit adding to the growing momentum behind the West’s support for the country's fight against Russia. Photo by Ukrainian Presidency via ABACAPRESS.COM  

Politico: Pelosi to Blinken: Label Russia as terrorist state, or else Congress will  

Her comments highlight the chasm in the actions lawmakers want the administration to take and what the secretary is comfortable doing.  

Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a message for Secretary of State Antony Blinken: Designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism — otherwise, Congress will. 

The warning, made on a call between the two earlier this week, was described to POLITICO by two sources familiar with the conversation. Spokespersons for the State Department and Pelosi’s office declined to comment. 

Congress gave the power to label another country as a state sponsor of terrorism to the secretary of state. Some in Congress, though, say lawmakers could pass a law to make the designation without the State Department, thus pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin on their own. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Pelosi pushes Biden to label Russia as terror sponsor — or Congress will: report (NYPost)  

Update #2: Pelosi reportedly pushes State Department to identify Russia as a state sponsor of terror, saying that if it won't, Congress will (Business Insider)  

WNU Editor: The Kremlin has responded .... A negative step: Kremlin on calls to declare Russia as a terrorist state (MINT). More here .... Kremlin weighs in on Pelosi’s call to pin ‘terror label’ on Russia (TASS).  

 Update #3: This analysis explains why such a designation will change nothing .... The US will gain nothing by declaring Russia a terror state: experts (Connor Echols, Responsible Statecraft).

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