This bill would declare the Russian Federation to be a country that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism. That declaration would take effect when the bill becomes law and would apply for purposes of several U.S. statutes named in the bill, including a provision of the Export Control Reform Act, section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and any other provision of law. The bill lists many factual findings used to justify the designation, including actions in the Second Chechen War, Russia’s military actions in Ukraine since 2014 and the full-scale invasion beginning in 2022, reported child deaths and abductions, use of mercenary groups such as the Wagner Group, past support for the Assad regime in Syria, and related international reactions.
The bill also says that the designation would not be used to punish people who export agricultural products from Ukraine or who provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine. The designation would end either when the Secretary of State determines Russia and Ukraine have entered negotiations to end the conflict or five years after the law is enacted, whichever is earlier.
Other provisions in the bill say that blocked or frozen assets of the Russian Federation would not be subject to attachment or execution to satisfy judgments against Russia arising from this designation. Those assets would remain under the authority of the President, the Treasury Secretary, and other executive officials to administer, license, transfer, or otherwise dispose of them for U.S. foreign policy purposes, including support for Ukraine and implementation of the REPO for Ukrainians Act. The bill also says this does not limit victims’ rights to seek compensation from other sources available under law.
No publicly available information.
Proponents say the bill is needed because the text lists many actions they view as support for terrorism or international wrongdoing. Those findings include reported attacks on civilians in the Second Chechen War, Russia’s 2014 actions in Ukraine and the full-scale invasion beginning in 2022, reported child deaths, injuries, and alleged kidnappings or deportations of Ukrainian children, academic findings about re-education programs, Russia’s material support for the Assad regime in Syria, and use of mercenary networks like the Wagner Group that have been linked by U.S. and other authorities to violence in multiple countries. The bill also cites public calls and recognitions from Ukraine’s leaders and the European Parliament.
No publicly available information.