A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Katie Britt, wants to label Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism over its kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children.
Lawmakers are escalating pressure on Russia after Poland struck down Russian drones in its airspace during strikes in Ukraine last week. Poland described the airspace violation an “act of aggression.”
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Senate Republicans Lindsey Graham and Britt and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar introduced legislation Sept. 11 to add Russia to the list of countries deemed by the United States as sponsors of terrorism until they return the abducted children.
“We all need to be using every tool in our toolbox to bring these babies, to bring these children home,” Britt said during a press conference introducing the bill. “It is clear that Putin will never do the right thing without being forced to, and now it’s time to make that happen.”
Currently, the U.S. has designated four countries as state sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria. The designation poses severe sanctions on a country’s economy and government.
During Thursday’s press conference, Graham added Russia’s name to that list on a poster, writing it in with a marker.
“We have laws on the books that punish state sponsors of terrorism,” Graham, R-SC, said. “It’s hard to get on that list. Well, let me tell you, Russia’s earned the right to be on this list.”
Focus on kids
The senators said about 19,000 Ukrainian children have been taken away from their families and brought to Russia. Britt said she wants to focus on the kids who were torn away from their loved ones.
“As a mom, I cannot even imagine what it is like to have your child torn from your arms, to know that they’re celebrating a birthday, or if they had a really bad day and have no one to love them, to hug them, to talk them through it,” Britt said.
Graham credited Britt for telling him about a resolution Klobuchar helped lead previously that called for the release of the children.
“One of the things that we have made very clear is that these kids must be returned before there’s any negotiation on the war, only because you can’t start having incentives for combatants in war to capture and kidnap kids,” Klobuchar told reporters.
Blumenthal called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal and denounced the kidnapping as a way for Putin to try to erase Ukraine. Their new bill aims to cripple the country, he said.
“It brands Russia for what it is, in the eyes of the world, a member of this exclusive pariah club that nobody wants to join, and condemns them, not only for moral purposes, but also economic,” the Connecticut Democrat said.
Renewed focus
There’s also a renewed focus on Capitol Hill to bring a separate, bipartisan Russia sanctions bill to the Senate floor. Britt and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., are cosponsors of that legislation, which would implement tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil.
“We need scorching sanctions that will cripple Putin’s economy by stopping the flow of money from India, China, Brazil and others who are buying Russian oil and gas,” Blumenthal said. “The best way to bring Putin to the table and achieve peace is to cripple his economy, and that’s the goal of our sanctions bill.”
Graham plans to talk with Senate leadership about bringing the new bill to the floor.
“We have to speak loudly (about) this issue, not just today, but every day,” Britt said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Alex Angle and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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