WASHINGTON — The United States is considering providing cluster munitions to Ukraine, the US nation’s top military officer said on Friday.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States has been considering providing Kiev with such weapons “for a long time.” He stressed that Russian troops have used them on the battlefield in Ukraine and Ukrainian forces have received and deployed those provided by other allies.
Milley told the National Press Club that the issue is being discussed. “The Ukrainians have requested them, other European countries have supplied some, the Russians are using them,” she said. “The process to make a decision is ongoing.”
Cluster munitions are weapons that open in mid-air and release submunitions, or “bomblets,” which are dispersed over a large area, destroying multiple targets at once. The ammunition can be dropped from planes, fired from artillery and attached to missiles, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Submunitions have a high failure rate, with up to 40% failing to explode, as seen in recent conflicts, according to the ICRC.
Those who support the ban on cluster bombs they claim that these weapons kill indiscriminately and endanger civilians long after they are used.
It is unknown how America’s NATO allies will view Washington’s supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine and whether the issue could split the military bloc’s majority support for kyiv. More than two-thirds of the 30 countries in the alliance signed a 2010 convention on cluster munitions that prohibits their use, production or stockpiling.
USA, Russia The US and Ukraine did not sign the ban against cluster bombs.
Last week, Laura Cooper, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Ukraine, testified before Congress that the Pentagon has determined that cluster munitions could help Kiev penetrate Russian trenches.
FUENTE: With information from AFP
