Russia could be declared a state sponsor of terrorism in the US. “America will oppose child abduction”
US lawmakers are in a sharp conflict over morality and strategy as bipartisan efforts to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism stall over fears of escalating the conflict and derailing diplomacy.
Disputes in the US Senate regarding the labeling of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism PHOTO: X/
At the center of the discussion is Graham's (R-SC) bill S. 2978, which would require the State Department to designate Russia as a terrorist state if it does not return thousands of kidnapped Ukrainian children and continues to target civilian infrastructure. The measure has received broad bipartisan support, but also faces strong opposition from a vocal minority who warn the law could sabotage peace talks and escalate conflict with a nuclear power.
“It is one of the greatest atrocities of the 21st century”Graham said, presenting testimony that up to 20,000 Ukrainian children were taken from the occupied territories and placed in camps designed toă “make them Russians”. Some of them even reached North Korea. “If that doesn't make you a terrorist stateGraham asked, “then what makes you?”
Moral and strategic case
Supporters of the bill see it not just as a moral issue, but as a strategic tool meant to affect Russia's economy rather than sparking a direct military conflict. “There has been nothing more unifying in the Senate since I have been here,” Graham said, citing the 85 cross-party co-sponsors and efforts to penalize countries that buy cheap Russian oil, the Kyiv Post reports.
The bill was previously approved under the NDAA by a 77-20 vote, including safeguards to prevent an abrupt withdrawal from NATO. If adopted, Russia would receive the same legal label applied to Iran, North Korea, Syria and Cuba, which would significantly restrict trade, banking and diplomatic relations.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Graham's senior partner on the bill, called the kidnappings “genocide“, arguing that depriving Ukraine of its children is tantamount to erasing the nation's future. “When you destroy a nation's children, you destroy the nation itself” he said, recounting his visits to Ukraine and meetings with parents whose children were taken to re-education camps. Blumenthal described specific cases, such as 10-month-old Margarita, whose name, place of birth and citizenship were changed by Russian authorities, and Artem, 16, forced to live in an orphanage with metal beds and fed on crackers. “It's not a gray area. It's black and white“, Blumenthal pointed out.
Procedural opposition
The initiative ran into procedural opposition when Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) blocked the unanimous consent requirement, warning that designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism could be interpreted as a veiled authorization for war. “This is an extremely bad idea,” Paul said, calling her a “dangerous challengeă” that could justify military strikes without congressional approval. He argued that additional sanctions would not change Moscow's calculus and could strengthen Russia's resolve.
Pressure vs. conciliation
Graham responded that Paul was ignoring history and Putin's words. “When you accept aggression, you get more“, the senator said, recalling Russia's invasions of Crimea in 2014 and Ukraine in 2022. Graham clarified that the purpose of the project is to choke off the finances that support Russia's war machine, particularly the oil purchases of China, India and Brazil: “Without this money, Putin cannot continue this war.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) added that the only language Putin understands is pressure. She noted Russia's foreign support, including the provision of materials and technology by China and labor by North Korea, and recalled past Russian invasions such as Georgia in 2008. Shaheen outlined additional bipartisan legislation aimed at cutting off supply chains to Moscow and using frozen Russian assets to fund the defense and reconstruction of Ukraine. “Escalation will have real costs“, she warned.
A test of American values
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) cast the bill as a test of US values and credibility: “When a government kidnaps children as a tool of war, the world has an obligation to respondShe added that failure to act would send the message that atrocities are tolerated globally.It's not about revenge. It's about drawing a line“, Klobuchar pointed out.
Paul's objection blocked immediate passage of the bill, but supporters vowed to continue the fight. Graham announced that he would advance the legislation in the new year, and Blumenthal said that the unity of the Senate must be unquestionable: “For Vladimir Putin, America will oppose child abduction“.
As the conflict drags on and negotiations stall, the Senate finds itself in a difficult stalemate, teetering between the moral imperative to punish an outcast and the pragmatic fear of military escalation.
