Russia suggests recognising European Parliament 'sponsor of idiocy'

Maria Zakharova, an official representative for the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on the decision of the European Parliament (EP) to adopt a resolution recognising Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

"I propose to recognise the European Parliament as a sponsor of idiocy,” Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel.

On November 23, the European Parliament adopted a resolution recognising Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The resolution presents a list of accusations against Russia, and some of them are not related to the special military operation in Ukraine.

Commenting on the decision of the European Parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia should be isolated and held accountable for its actions in Ukraine and in the world.

On Wednesday, November 23, the European Parliament voted for a resolution to recognise Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism against the backdrop of hostilities in Ukraine. As many as 494 out of 596 MEPs supported the resolution, 58 voted against it, and 44 abstained.

"By declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, members of the European Parliament want to pave the way for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and his government to be held accountable for these crimes before an international tribunal,” the text of the document says.

The resolution does not refer to a legislative procedure. It has no legal force and only serves as a recommendation.

The authors of the resolution accuse Russia of:

• war crimes in Ukraine,
• rocket attacks on its energy infrastructure,
• humanitarian crisis in Mariupol,
• global food crisis,
• illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.

The document also mentions Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the verdict in the MH17 case.

Also read: If USA declares Russia state sponsor of terrorism, Ukraine will cease to exist

The draft resolution calls on EU members to develop a legal framework for designating states as sponsors of terrorism and states that use terrorist means. Such a legal framework will entail a number of significant restrictive measures against those countries and will have serious restrictive consequences for EU relations with them. The resolution also suggests EU partners should take similar measures.

The draft resolution also reflects the need for efforts to internationally isolate Russia, including its membership in the UN Security Council. The document also calls to recognise PMC Wagner and the 141st Regiment named after Akhmat Kadyrov, which is part of the Russian Guard, as terrorist organisations. 

Earlier, the parliaments of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and the lower house of the highest legislative body of the Czech Republic adopted similar resolutions recognising Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.