On Wednesday, November 23, the Parliament of the European Union in Strasbourg voted by a majority of votes to adopt a resolution recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.
Having declared Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, MEPs intend to prepare the ground to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government to justice before an international tribunal, according to the website of the European Parliament.
The resolution was supported by 575 MEPs. It is also reported that 8 were against and 24 abstained.
In the document, the European Parliament acknowledged that Russia has carried out "indiscriminate attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure" in Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. In the occupied territories, the aggressors carry out "executions without trial and investigation, carry out kidnappings, sexual violence, torture and other atrocities," the resolution added. Mass murders in Buch, Irpen, Izyum and Lyman were also mentioned, as well as attacks on the Mariupol theater and the Kramatorsk railway station.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the decision of the European Parliament:
"I welcome the European Parliament's decision to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that uses means of terrorism. Russia must be isolated at all levels and brought to justice in order to put an end to its long-standing policy of terrorism in Ukraine and the world."
In view of the escalation of Russian attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, the European Parliament called on the EU to speed up work on the ninth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation.
