DIn a resolution, the European Parliament classified Russia as a “state that facilitates terrorism”. This symbolic but politically controversial decision was supported by 494 MEPs, 58 voted against and 44 abstained. In the end, most Social Democrat and Green MEPs also endorsed the text after failing to defuse it. Both factions wanted to qualify Russia, somewhat weaker, as a “state using terrorist means”. The motion was tabled jointly by Christian Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, including representatives of Italy’s ruling Brothers in Rome.
The decision initially has no legal consequences because there is only one terror list for individuals, groups and institutions in the European Union, not for states. MEPs are therefore calling on the Member States and the Union to draw up a new legal framework – analogous to the American list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”. Such a classification should “trigger significant restrictive measures against these countries and have profound restrictive effects on the Union’s relations with these countries,” the resolution said.
More than 42,000 residential buildings destroyed
Russia’s classification is justified by the fact that “the Russian Federation’s deliberate attacks and atrocities against the civilian population of Ukraine, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and other serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law constitute terrorist acts against the Ukrainian population and constitute war crimes “.
Parliament pointed out that Russia has so far destroyed more than 60,982 civilian infrastructure facilities using rockets, drones and artillery, including 42,818 residential buildings, 1,960 educational facilities, 396 medical facilities, 392 cultural and 87 religious buildings, and 5,315 facilities for electricity and water supply .
Overall, forty percent of the country’s critical energy infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. The purpose of the attacks was “to terrorize the population, to break their resistance and determination to continue defending their country and to force them to recognize the occupying power”.
The resolution also mentions the “damage” to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 Baltic Sea pipelines and classifies it as an “environmental attack on the Union”, but without blaming Moscow directly for it. MEPs are calling for further sanctions against Russia, such as classifying the Kremlin-backed Wagner militia as a terrorist group. She’s already on a sanctions list. In addition, rough diamonds should no longer be imported from Russia.