Cluster bombs, why does the United States supply Kiev with them? NATO and the West Divided (But Russia is Already Using It)

In 2008, the Oslo Accords were adopted, according to which 123 countries banned cluster bombs. However, many other countries, including Russia, the United States and Ukraine, did not join. In fact, Putin’s army uses this type of bomb, which is very effective but also causes deaths among civilians and could cause them in the future, since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

Cluster bombs, the division of NATO and the West

Now the United States decided to supply them to Kiev, which nevertheless had to make a series of obligations, first of all not to use on the territory of the Russian Federation (but the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass and Crimea are not from the territory of the Russian Federation). NATO and the West are divided. The United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Spain have expressed their opposite position. Even the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said: “Italy is bound by the international agreement banning the production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. Within the framework of the values ​​expressed by the Atlantic Alliance, Italy hopes for the universal application of the principles of the agreement.

Biden moved

But why did Biden make this move? The answer is simple: seize the moment of difficulty in Russia, increasingly besieged by Bakhmut and with the growing chaos caused by the Wagner Revolution.

Biden officially makes this analysis: “It was a very difficult decision on my part. I have discussed this with our allies. Ukraine is running out of ammunition, and cluster munitions will be sent temporarily so that the US can produce more rounds for the 155mm howitzers. This is a war on ammunition. And we’re low on ammunition. And so, what I finally did, I followed the Department of Defense recommendation, not in perpetuity, to allow this limited period to ship these cluster munitions while we make more 155mm howitzer rounds.”

counterattack

In short: if you really want to help Ukraine in the ongoing counterattack, you can’t interrupt the flow of munitions shipments, and at this point, the United States can basically send cluster bombs. Only today will Joe Biden begin his mission in Europe, and he will also try to renew the thread of dialogue with allies. Moscow has already protested against the American move, but given that Russia is already using this type of ammunition, the protest seems unsustainable from a logical point of view.

Mykhailo Podolak, advisor to President Zelensky, wrote on Twitter: “Cluster munitions are very important for Ukraine. They compensate to some extent for our deficit in our missiles and partially restore parity on the battlefield. Given the fact that Russia has been using this type of munition in Ukraine for more than a year It is fair to use it. Podolyak emphasized that it is necessary to speak to Russia only in a language that it understands with proportionate force.

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