Cluster bombs: US President Joe Biden defends decision to send Ukraine controversial weapons
President Biden revealed in an interview that he had consulted with allies regarding the decision, which coincides with an upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized during a White House briefing that officials were aware of the potential civilian harm caused by unexploded bombs from cluster munitions.
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FollowUS President Joe Biden has justified his decision to provide Ukraine with cluster bombs, acknowledging that it was a challenging choice due to their history of causing civilian casualties. He explained that he took time to be convinced, but ultimately acted because the Ukrainian forces were facing a shortage of ammunition. Ukraine's leader welcomed the move as timely, while a representative from Moscow criticized Washington's actions as cynical. It's worth noting that over 120 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs.
President Biden revealed in an interview that he had consulted with allies regarding the decision, which coincides with an upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan emphasized during a White House briefing that officials were aware of the potential civilian harm caused by unexploded bombs from cluster munitions.
He stated, "We have delayed making this decision for as long as possible." Sullivan further explained that Ukraine was facing a shortage of artillery and required a temporary supply bridge until the United States could increase its domestic production.
"We will not leave Ukraine defenceless at any point in this conflict period," he said.
The utilization of these munitions has sparked controversy due to their high failure rate, resulting in unexploded small bombs that can remain on the ground for extended periods and potentially detonate later without discrimination. Sullivan assured journalists that the cluster bombs being provided to Ukraine from the United States were considerably safer compared to those allegedly employed by Russia in the ongoing conflict.
He told reporters the US ones have a dud rate of less than 2.5%, while Russia's have a dud rate of between 30-40%, he said.
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President Biden's move will bypass US law prohibiting the production, use or transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate of more than 1%.
Early in the war, when the White House was asked about allegations that Russia was using cluster and vacuum bombs, the then-press secretary said it would be a potential "war crime" if true.
On Friday, Marta Hurtado, speaking for the UN human rights office said, "The use of such munitions should stop immediately and not be used in any place." Russia's ambassador to the US criticised Biden's decision.
"The cruelty and cynicism with which Washington has approached the issue of transferring lethal weapons to Kyiv is striking," Anatoly Antonov said. "Now, by the fault of the US, there will be a risk for many years that innocent civilians will be blown up by submunitions that have failed."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously accused the US and its allies of fighting an expanding proxy war in Ukraine. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US president for "a timely, broad and much-needed" military aid package worth $800m (£626m).
Last week, Valery Zaluzhny, the Ukraine's military commander-in-chief said the campaign had been hampered by a lack of adequate firepower and expressed frustration with the slow deliveries of weapons promised by the West.
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