President Biden is rejecting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The White House said Tuesday that the designation could have “unintended consequences for Ukraine and the world” and undermine the U.S. ability to support Ukraine at the negotiating table.
“We do not think this is the most effective way to go or the strongest path forward,” White House press secretary Karine Jeanne-Pierre told reporters.
Mr. Zelenskyy and members of Ukraine’s parliament have repeatedly called on Mr. Biden to lump Russia in with Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria — the only four countries that currently carry the designation — in response to the Kremlin’s assault on Ukraine.