The United States recently announced that it would be sending a package of cluster bombs to Ukraine as part of an $800 million military aid package. The move has been met with widespread criticism from the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and allies such as Germany and Austria, who are concerned about the potential risks these weapons could pose to civilians.
Despite this criticism, the Biden administration has stuck to its decision, claiming that the Ukrainians are running low on ammunition. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledges the risk to civilians, saying that the U.S. has “postponed this decision for as long as we can.”
Cluster bombs, as defined by Human Rights Watch (HRW), are an indiscriminate type of munition that have been found to be in use by both Ukrainian and Russian forces. HRW has condemned the move, imploring the US to refrain from providing any such deadly weapons. Most countries across the world have banned the production, use and supply of cluster bombs, paving the way for a safer international disarming system.
Sullivan reassures that the ammunition being provided to Ukraine is, unlike that of Russia, non-explosive, with a failure rate of around 2.5%. He also highlights that Ukraine has promised to use the cluster bombs on the battlefield as opposed to urban areas.
Pentagon official Colin Kahl has spoken out about the progression of Ukraine’s counteroffensive against the Russian forces, saying that it is “too early to judge how the counteroffensive one way or the other.” The U.S. is likely to continue to provide military aid to Ukraine as the conflict continues.
Regardless of U.S. assurance that they are mitigating risk to civilians, the controversy around the use of cluster bombs is unlikely to subside. Allies and organizations that have condemned the decision will be closely watching the situation, and cautioning those involved to act responsibly.