News Feed

Polish parliament recognizes Russia as sponsor of terrorism, says Kremlin responsible for ex-president's death.

1 min read

The Sejm, the Polish parliament's lower house, on Dec. 14 recognized Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, Gazeta Wyborcza, a Polish newspaper, reported.

Previously the Sejm had failed to recognize Russia as a sponsor of terrorism because the opposition did not support an amendment by the ruling Law and Justice party saying that Russia was “directly responsible” for the 2010 plane crash in Russia's Smolensk Oblast that killed then Polish President Lech Kaczyński and 95 people on board.

However, on Dec. 14 the Sejm adopted both the resolution and the amendment on the plane crash.

In 2011 the Polish government released a report attributing the crash to a pilot error and adding that Russian air traffic control passed incorrect information to the crew. In 2015 a different report backed by the Law and Justice party claimed that the crash was caused by explosions aboard the plane.

The Polish parliament's resolution condemns Russia for its war crimes committed in Ukraine and for its “terrorist war."

The report comes amid Ukraine’s repeated calls on its allies to label Russia as a “state sponsor” of terrorism.

The Polish parliament's upper house, called the Senate, also recognized Russia as a terrorist regime in October.

In November, the European Parliament declared that Russia is committing war crimes and uses “means of terrorism,” recognizing the country as a “state sponsor of terrorism.”

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed

The World Bank will provide $200 million over the next five years to prepare Ukrainian projects for large-scale reconstruction, the Economy Ministry announced on July 11. The funding will be available under the five-year PREPARE program with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA).

Video

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, war has become a daily reality for thousands of Ukrainian children. Some Ukrainian military units, such as the Azov Brigade, offer boot camps for teenagers to teach them the basics of self-defense, first aid, dry firing, and other survival skills — helping them prepare for both the realities of today and the uncertainties of the future.

Show More