'State-terrorists': MEPs react after EU Parliament blacklists Russia

The European Parliament is demanding new steps. After declaring Russia as a "state sponsor of terrorism" Wednesday, MEPs want to acknowledge, more congruently, the atrocities Russia has committed in Ukraine.

During the monthly plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the symbolic resolution – with 494 voting for the motion.

The result could clear the way for MEPs to hold Moscow and Russian president Vladimir Putin accountable for alleged war crimes during their invasion of Ukraine.

"What we voted today, Russia is a terrorist state, means an example to all dictators like Putin. Think twice whenever you want to do something like this, because there are other dictators in the world other than Putin thinking about doing something like this,” Vlad Gheorghe Romanian MEP with Renew Europe told The Global Conversation.

Sándor Zsiros, Euronews: Vlad Gheorghe. What does it mean for the future that the European Parliament now calls Russia a state sponsor of terrorism? Does that bring the end of the conflict any closer?

Vlad Gheorghe, Romanian MEP, Renew Europe: First of all, we recognise what everyone knows. What do you call a state that attacks citizens that is guilty of over 40,000 documented war crimes and a state that tries to kill civilians by freezing them to death or starving them. This is what we said now in the European Parliament that we see this and we acknowledge politically this.

SZ: Mr. Lagodinsky, do you think that Russia will be ever added to the EU's official terrorist list?

**Sergey Lagodinsky, German MEP, Greens/EFA:**I think we're not there yet. I see this resolution mostly as a political statement and an important sign of solidarity and also of acknowledgement that the conduct of Russia,