A group of nine U.S. senators have proposed to provide $450 million in military aid to Kiev in 2022 and to fix Russia's status as a "sponsor of terrorism" if it introduces troops into Ukraine. This is stated in a statement published on the website of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, writes UNN.

"As Ukraine faces another Russian troop buildup at the border and the threat of invasion, the United States must do everything possible to deter Russia and provide Ukraine with the supplies and support it needs to defend itself," said Republican Senator Jim Risch, head of the committee.

The initiative is called the Guaranteeing Ukraine's Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act (GUARD Act). It was supported by eight other senators, including the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Marco Rubio and Deputy Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Toomey.

According to Risch, he decided to introduce the initiative because of the "inaction" of U.S. Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.

For his part, Toomey said the "mere threat of sanctions" will not stop Russia from its plans to invade Ukraine.

"The (U.S. president's) administration should immediately take concrete steps to help Ukraine by imposing sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline," the senator said.

In addition, the authors of the initiative proposed a number of other measures to combat "Russian aggression." In particular, they suggested that Russia be given the status of "state sponsor of terrorism" if it invades Ukraine.

We would like to point out that the recognition of a state as a "sponsor of terrorism" allows the US president to impose additional sanctions against it, restrict or ban the sale of weapons, as well as dual-use goods and technologies. This status also allows denying the country economic aid and removing diplomatic immunity from its representatives.