U.S. seeks to label Russia as sponsor of terrorism

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a nonbinding resolution on Wednesday calling for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria and Ukraine.

"The Senate views the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, as sponsoring acts of terrorism," the resolution available on the Congress website says.

"The Senate calls on the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, but nothing in this resolution shall be construed as authorizing the use of military force or the introduction of United States forces into hostilities," the resolution reads.

“Armed forces of the Russian Federation have committed numerous summary executions against innocent civilians and have attempted to cover their atrocities with mass graves across Ukraine,” the Senate bill reads.

A similar measure had been introduced in the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to be a strong supporter of its passage. However, the power to designate a state sponsor of terror resides with the State Department, New York Times reported.