US senators ask Obama to designate DPR and LPR as terrorist organizations

Published Aug. 1, 2014 at 11:24 am

A flag (C) of the self-proclaimed \"Luhansk People's Republic\" hangs outside the headquarters on June 22, 2014. The flag flying at L reads: \"victory in 1945, victory in 2014\". Donetsk and the neighbouring heavily Russified region of Luhansk declared independence in disputed May 11 referenda, the legitimacy of which was rejected by Kyiv and the West.

Photo by AFP

Washington - A group of U.S. senators has sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama requesting that the United States designate the main pro-Russian separatist organizations of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) as foreign terrorist organizations under U.S. law.

“The designation of the separatists as terrorists under U.S. law is
overdue, and I call on the President to take this step immediately so we
significantly raise the costs for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin
for his violation of international norms and Ukraine’s sovereignty,” the
author of the letter, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, said.

The letter, in addition to Kirk, was also signed by 18 Republican
Senators, including John McCain, the Voice of America radio station
reported on Friday, Aug. 1.