WASHINGTON — A bipartisan cohort of Senators launched a fresh effort to add Russia to the short list of countries the U.S. has designated as state sponsors of terrorism if it does not return the thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped over the course of the more than 3½ year-old war.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., announced the push in a press conference on Thursday in which they called on the Senate’s Republican and Democratic leaders, Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and Chuck Schumer of New York respectively, to bring their legislation up in the chamber.
The move is intended to hit Russia’s economy and thus its ability to continue funding its war effort. Graham argued the state sponsor of terrorism label – which includes countries that have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism,” and brings categories of additional sanctions, according to the State Department – would make Russia’s economy “radioactive.”
“A company that does business with a state sponsor of terrorism is going to have a lot of explaining to do to consumers to suppliers, to everyone involved,” Blumenthal added, saying it makes Moscow a “pariah state.”
Currently, only Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria are designated as such by the U.S.
“It’s hard to get on that list,” Graham said, adding Russia has “earned” such a right to be on it.
It is believed that Russia has taken more than 19,000 Ukrainian children since the start of the war, the senators noted, and The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the “unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation” back in March 2023.
The issue has received increased attention in recent weeks, after last month when first lady Melania Trump penned a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the matter and President Donald Trump noted he spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the topic in particular.
“And that means every single Ukrainian child abducted by Russia must be returned to their families,” von der Leyen wrote in a post on X following her conversation with Trump. “I thank @POTUS for his clear commitment today to ensuring these children are reunited with their loved ones.”
Graham noted he spoke to von der Leyen ahead of the press conference on Thursday morning as well as Trump on Wednesday.
Klobuchar also noted another bipartisan effort she is working on with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, which she referred to as “complementary” to the one announced Thursday, to ensure the U.S. assists Ukraine in tracking its missing children. The Minnesota Democrat mentioned the possibility of it being included in the annual defense spending and policy bill.
It all comes as Trump has been pushing for months for an end to the war, even hosting Putin last month for a face-to-face talk in Alaska and then huddling with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House days after. Trump had emerged from those talks saying he would facilitate a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders but thus far the effort has been unsuccessful.
Russia over the weekend carried out its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the war. And just this week, Moscow appeared to significantly raise the stakes when it violated Polish airspace, as NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted, leading allies in the military alliance to jump in to help defend NATO territory.
A core tenet of the treaty that governs NATO – which both the U.S. and Poland are a part of – requires member countries to come to the defence of another member in the case it is under attack.
Graham at Thursday’s press conference noted efforts are currently “on the wrong trajectory” and it was time for Congress to give Trump a “tool” to hit Russia.
“We’ve tried the red carpet approach,” Graham said, potentially referring to the carpet used for the Trump-Putin greeting at their Alaska summit. “It ain’t working.”
The South Carolina Republican said in response to a reporter’s question that Putin likely would not have been allowed on U.S. soil for the summit had the bill he announced on Thursday already been introduced and passed.
Graham and Blumenthal have also teamed up on a bill that would place new primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and those aiding its war effort. Goods imported from nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and more would also face a 500% tariff under the legislation, which is intended to come into play if Russia “refuses to negotiate” a peace deal with Ukraine or violates an agreement should one be made, according to its text.
The legislation which, with more than 80 cosponsors, has the backing of more than three fourths of the upper chamber, was first introduced months ago but has not seen action as Republicans have signaled they are waiting for the go-ahead from Trump.
Blumenthal stressed at the press conference that the state sponsor of terrorism legislation announced Thursday should not be seen as a “substitute” for the sanctions bill.
“I call on the majority leader to give us a vote on the sanctions bill,” Blumenthal said. “After this incursion in Poland, the time is now to show strength.”
Graham said he planned to talk to the majority leader later that day about the legislation, particularly after speaking with the president on Wednesday.
Last week, Trump fiercely pushed back on the premise in a reporter’s question that he has taken “no action” when it comes to Russia and said over the weekend that he was ready to move to a second phase of sanctions.
But Trump has vowed several times at different points to impose secondary tariffs or sanctions on Russia if the war continues and it does not agree to a ceasefire, but he has subsequently let those self-set deadlines pass.
“It could’ve been a mistake,” Trump said of the drone incursion into Poland as he left the White House on Thursday. “But regardless, I’m not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.”