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Labeling Russia as state sponsor of terrorism would reduce US flexibility — White House

Jake Sullivan stressed that Washington "will continue to amp the pressure on Russia economically"

NEW YORK, September 25. /TASS/. A decision to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism would not put any significant pressure on Moscow, but would reduce US flexibility, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in an interview with NBC on Sunday.

"So this is just a matter of a particular tool and the degree to which the upside of it outweighs the downside, which is that it does tie the United States' hands and reduce our flexibility without adding a whole lot of economic pressure to Russia," Sullivan said, stressing that Washington "will continue to amp the pressure on Russia economically."

In early September, the White House specified that the US administration had made a final decision not to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Kiev as well as a number of Congressmen had called on Washington to place Russia on this list.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier described these initiatives as silly measures, warning that such US steps would not go unanswered.

The list could include states which, according to Washington, "have repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism". The US administration has broad authority to impose sanctions on those countries listed. The US Treasury Department can take action against those entities and individuals, as well as states that trade with countries on the list. It currently includes Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Syria.