Thread by @razomforukraine

⚡️ We often hear a lot of quick-fire misconceptions when skeptics are justifying why we haven't yet designated Russia a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism.

🧵 Read our thread on some common SST-related myths and how best to respond to them with facts:

#RussiaIsATerroristState 1/10

🇷🇺 routinely uses violence against civilian populations to achieve political goals. While 🇷🇺 actions certainly exceed what we might imagine to be "sponsoring," #SST designation triggers important legal ramifications specifically for states engaging *directly* in terrorism. 2/10

Heard that designating 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism won't do anything new? It is common for countries under consideration for SST designation to already be sanctioned in other ways - in this case, the designation would trigger critical new restrictions and sanctions... 3/10

Designating 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism would allow Russia to be held accountable for terrorist acts in U.S. courts by eligible victims and get us in the direction of seizing Russian frozen assets for 🇺🇦.

It'd also sanction 🇷🇺 gov't actors enabling the war against 🇺🇦. 4/10

Would designating 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism prevent us from engaging in diplomacy with Putin's regime?

No. Besides the designation being a diplomatic tool itself, 🇺🇸 admins have engaged in effective diplomacy like meeting #SST heads of state and releasing 🇺🇸 prisoners. 5/10

But designating 🇷🇺 might trigger a negative reaction from Putin, no? Well, we hope he doesn't celebrate U.S. policy decisions... but, in reality, Putin's crimes aren't motivated by U.S. policy decisions.

He will commit acts of terrorism and genocide simply because he can. 6/10

Can Congress designate 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism? Yes!

Congress authorized @SecBlinken to maintain a list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, but that doesn't impact Congress' ability to designate through legislation (@tedlieu's and @LindseyGrahamSC's bills⬇️). 7/10

How would designating 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism impact potential 🇺🇸 aid to 🇷🇺?

Presently, the US does not provide economic assistance to Russia, but humanitarian and food-related transactions could be allowed.

And the US provides civil society funding in 🇰🇵, 🇨🇺, etc. 8/10

Our European allies - both on transnational & national platforms - have already declared Russia variants of #StateSponsorOfTerrorism, #TerroristState, etc.

PACE adopted a resolution declaring 🇷🇺 a terrorist state - 99 yeas, 1 abstention. The resolve of our allies is there. 9/10

Would designating 🇷🇺 a #StateSponsorOfTerrorism be too broad, strict, or incompatible of a foreign policy tool? Not at all - #SST designation is highly modular and modifiable.

Waivers and exemptions that serve 🇺🇸 or humanitarian interest can be, and have been, created. 10/10