Russian war of aggression
US government defends shipments of cluster munitions
Activists and members of international delegations stand next to cluster bomb units during a visit to a Lebanese military base. photo
© Mohammad Zaatari/ap/dpa
Ukraine has been trying to persuade partners to deliver controversial cluster munitions for months. Now Washington has decided. However, many countries outlaw the use of this ammunition.
The US government wants Ukraine controversial Deliver cluster munitions and defends itself against criticism of this move. “It’s a tough decision. It’s a decision that we’ve put off. It’s a decision that required a really hard look at the potential harm to civilians,” said US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan , on Friday at the White House.
The announcement comes shortly before the NATO summit next week. Sullivan clarified that Ukraine would not join NATO as a result of the summit, referring to the country attacked by Russia’s hopes of joining.
The cluster munitions are part of a new $800 million military aid package. “Russia has used cluster munitions to attack Ukraine since the beginning of the war,” Sullivan said. “We recognize that cluster munitions pose a risk of harm to civilians from unexploded munitions, so we have delayed the decision as long as we could.” Ukraine has committed to demining to mitigate potential harm to civilians.
Demands of Ukraine already older
Ukraine has been demanding the delivery of cluster munitions for some time. Cluster munitions are rockets and bombs that burst in the air over the target and scatter or release many small explosive devices – so-called submunitions. Cluster munitions are controversial above all because a significant percentage of their explosive devices do not detonate but remain on site as duds, thus endangering the population even after a battle has ended. Like more than 100 other countries, Germany has joined a treaty banning cluster munitions – the so-called Oslo Convention. The US, like Ukraine, has not signed the agreement.
With regard to a question about Germany’s position, Sullivan emphasized that there were no “cracks” in the unity of NATO. “On the contrary: we believe that there is a deep understanding within the alliance.” The federal government had signaled understanding for the step on Friday with a view to the plans of the US government. “We are certain that our US friends did not take the decision to supply the appropriate ammunition lightly,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
No further details known
The Pentagon stressed that it would only supply Ukraine with cluster munitions with a low dud rate. Kiev has also pledged not to use the missiles in densely populated urban areas and to record where the ammunition is used. The Pentagon did not want to reveal any further details about the schedule and the exact quantity of the delivery. However, the provision should be made in such a way that it is relevant to the Ukrainian counter-offensive that has already started. The United States says it has hundreds of thousands of the bullets in stock.
With a view to the NATO summit in Vilnius, the White House made it clear that it supports an “open door policy”. This means that the NATO members decide together with Ukraine whether to join the alliance. However, Ukraine must implement further reforms before it can become a member of NATO. The Vilnius summit is an important milestone on this path. There were discussions within NATO right up until the very end about how exactly Ukraine’s hopes of membership should be addressed at the summit.
The United States is considered Ukraine’s main ally in defending against the Russian invasion. According to the Pentagon, the United States has provided or pledged more than $40 billion in military aid to Kiev since the war began in late February 2022.