The United States has put an end to speculations and announced the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite opposition from human rights organizations that have called on Washington not to supply Kyiv with these internationally banned weapons, which are expected to be the latest lethal weapons in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
President Joe Biden considered the decision to grant Ukraine cluster munitions to be extremely difficult.
In his press statements, he stated, “It was an extremely difficult decision for me.”
The US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced on Friday that it would provide Ukraine with a new package of military aid valued at $800 million, including cluster munitions.
The Pentagon stated, “We will supply Kyiv with cluster munitions. The results of the Ukrainian counteroffensive are lower than our expectations, and we need to ensure that Kyiv has all the necessary tools.”
Ukraine has repeatedly called on the West to provide it with cluster munitions, but countries have refused to supply it with these munitions that scatter bombs over a wide area, posing a threat to civilians even years after the cessation of fighting.
In recent times, news reports have emerged about a change in the US position, particularly regarding the provision of this type of munitions to Ukraine.
What Are the Reasons Behind the Decision?
Supporters of the decision argue, as quoted by the Associated Press, that Russia had already used cluster munitions in the war. They also highlight that US-made cluster munitions have a low failure rate, meaning there will be significantly fewer unexploded bombs that could unintentionally cause civilian casualties.
For over a year, the United States’ stockpile of traditional munitions that can be fired from 155mm howitzer cannons has been dwindling.
The United States has sent over 2 million traditional shells to Ukraine.
But it doesn’t stop with Washington, as its allies have also sent hundreds of thousands of shells over the past year.
This artillery can launch shells up to a range of 32 kilometers, making it a preferred choice for Ukrainian ground forces attempting to strike Russian forces from a distance.
The battles are depleting Ukraine’s defense ammunition stores by thousands of shells daily.
Yehor Cherniev, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, stated that Ukraine needs between 7,000 and 9,000 shells daily to bolster its counteroffensive.
However, providing this massive quantity of shells puts pressure on the stockpiles of the United States and its allies, according to the Associated Press.
In this context, cluster munitions seem to be a suitable solution as they would allow Kyiv to destroy larger targets with fewer munitions. Moreover, the United States has not used cluster munitions since the Iraq War and has a huge stockpile of them.
