Hours after voting to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, the European Union Parliament website was hit with a cyberattack. European lawmakers met on Wednesday to vote on the symbolic move that would cause Russia to be further isolated internationally, per CNN.
The European Parliament said that it made the decision as a consequence of the “deliberate physical destruction of civilian infrastructure and mass murder of Ukrainian civilians with the aim of eliminating the Ukrainian people,” according to The Guardian.
After voting to approve this move, the European Union Parliament website suffered a cyberattack. A pro-Kremlin group claimed responsibility for the attack on the website, the president of the European parliament, Roberta Metsola, said, per The Guardian.
IT experts are currently working against the cyberattack to protect the site’s systems.
The EU doesn't have the legal framework to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, making this move largely symbolic. However, The New York Times reports that parliament has urged member states to help impose increased sanctions on Russia by putting in place the “proper legal framework.”
494 voted in favor of the nonbinding resolution, while 58 voted against and 44 chose not to vote, according to CNN.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was welcoming of the European Parliament decision. He tweeted, “Russia must be isolated at all levels and held accountable in order to end its long-standing policy of terrorism in Ukraine and across the globe.”
Back in September, President Joe Biden stated that he would not designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism because he believes it will set back humanitarian efforts and peace negotiations.