NATO has left the decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine to the allies. Spain has positioned itself against shipping.
Despite criticism from Germany and organizations such as Human Rights Watch (HWR), the United States has confirmed that it will send cluster bombs to Ukraine because of the great danger to the civilian population.
According to Joe Biden, the decision was “difficult” but necessary because “the Ukrainians are out of ammunition”.
The announcement is not without surprise and controversy. This explosive has been banned in more than 100 countries in violation of United Nations warnings. However, it has already been used in the war in Ukraine by both Russian and Ukrainian forces, resulting in civilian casualties and serious injuries to survivors.
A significant number of the sub-projectiles dropped by these types of bombs do not explode, so they can remain in the ground and activate long after a conflict has ended.
In their announcement, US authorities insist that only devices with a failure rate of less than 2.35% be sent to Ukraine. In contrast, according to U.S. officials, the cluster bombs used by Russia since the invasion began have a failure rate of between 30 and 40%.
reactions
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has left the decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine in the hands of allies after recalling that there is no common position within NATO on the 2008 Cluster Munitions Convention that use, development, production, acquisition, storage and transfer of this class of weapons.
“Some allies have signed the convention and others have not. It is an individual decision to decide on the delivery of this military aid to Ukraine. It is up to the governments and not the alliance,” said NATO’s political chief.
Defense Secretary Margarita Robles has assured that she “does not share” and is “against” the US decision.
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoli Antonov sees the decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine as another American provocation that “brings humanity closer to another world war”.
From Russia, they have also denounced that the United States has “ignored the negative opinions of its allies about the dangers of the indiscriminate use of cluster munitions”, just as it “turns a blind eye to civilian casualties”.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
