Russia’s declaration made by the EU Parliament does not obligate the Union to anything. The change in the way of speaking, however, points to a readiness to tighten measures against the country even more, says academy researcher Timo Miettinen.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament declared Russia a state that supports terrorism. The reason for the declaration is the war of aggression started by Russia in Ukraine.
The declaration does not legally obligate the European Union to anything, but the change in the way Russia is spoken is indicated by the academy researcher at the University of Helsinki Timo Miettinen according to the fact that anti-Russian measures are ready to be tightened further.
Miettinen estimates that the European Parliament is traditionally a bit ahead of the Union’s member states in matters of foreign relations, or more ambitious.
– Here too, perhaps the EU Parliament’s goal in the long term is to pressure the Commission to bring initiatives where a state that supports terrorism could be a permanent definition in EU law, which status could directly lead to certain actions.
For example, the US legal order includes a list of countries that support terrorism. Being on the “terrorist list” held since 1979 causes, for example, the severing of diplomatic relations, economic sanctions and export bans. Currently on the list are North Korea, Syria, Iran and Cuba.
According to Miettinen, the declaration of the European Parliament expresses a state of will, but may aim for a direction from the American way of thinking.
– If you think about the countries that are on the US list, such as Syria and North Korea, then perhaps the goal is to place Russia in a slightly new reference group.
The entire Wednesday’s A-studio can be watched at Areena.