A new draft of United States sanctions proposed by Republican Jim Banks seek to declare Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and “Russian-backed” forces in Donbas as terrorists.

The draft bill obtained by the Washington Post reads “the designation of the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism and designation of the Russian-supported armed forces in the Donbas region of Ukraine as foreign terrorist organisations.’’

Earlier, the U.S. announced sanctions against Russia in response to what it said were cyber-attacks and other hostile acts.

The measures, which target dozens of Russian entities and officials, aim to deter “Russia’s harmful foreign activities,” the White House said.

The statement says Russian intelligence is behind the massive “SolarWinds” hack, and accuses Moscow of interference in the 2020 election.

However, Russia denied all allegations, saying it would respond in kind.

The sanctions are detailed in an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, and comes at a tense time for relations between the two countries.

(Sputnik/NAN)