The European Parliament recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilian targets, energy infrastructure, hospitals, schools and shelters, Reuters reports :
"The European Parliament recognizes Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state using the means of terrorism."
The resolution does not have legal consequences, The Insider explained earlier.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the decision of the European Parliament in the Telegram channel:
“I welcome the decision of the European Parliament to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state using means of terrorism. Russia must be isolated at all levels and held accountable in order to end its long-standing policy of terrorism in Ukraine and around the world.”
In October, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution according to which the ruling regime in Russia is recognized as a terrorist one, and Russia's presence in the UN Security Council is called into question. Gleb Bogush, an expert on international criminal law, told The Insider that this does not entail legal consequences for Russia:
"So far, the resolution is more of a political gesture, a position in the form of a recommendation for 46 countries of the Council of Europe to assess Russia's behavior."
At the same time, “terrorist state” and “terrorist regime (government)” in international law are different things, Bogush noted.