class=”sc-29f61514-0 jbwksb”>
Washington is apparently considering supplying cluster munitions to Kiev. According to US Chief of Staff Mark Milley 65) Russia also uses so-called cluster munitions in Ukraine.
The International Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which Switzerland ratified in 2012, prohibits cluster bombs. 107 countries ban the weapon. Neither the US nor Russia has signed the treaty. As recently as December, the US government did not consider such weapon systems with hundreds of ammunition packages to be decisive for the war. Now Washington’s opposition appears to be changing.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden, 80, received a letter from a bipartisan congressional group calling on the president to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine. This is to better support the ongoing counter-offensive.
High percentage of duds, random destruction
The delivery should give the war nation “a mighty weapon”, according to the undersigned MPs. “Let’s use this vast, untapped arsenal for Ukraine’s victory and the restoration of peace in Europe,” Foreign Policy quoted the letter as saying.
Cluster munitions are missiles or bombs that explode in the air above the target, releasing many small explosives. They are controversial in advance because of the high percentage of duds and often random destruction.
In the former war theater of Indochina, Laos, so-called “daisy cutters” by the Americans are still responsible for death and destruction. Such “random weapons” buried in the ground for decades still detonate today during construction or field work.
“It’s Getting Very, Very Bloody”
According to Milley, the Ukrainians “asked” for cluster munitions. “Other European countries have made some of it available, the Russians are using it.” The decision-making process is underway. The US chief of staff dismissed concerns that Ukraine’s counter-offensive was progressing too slowly. The first campaign will probably last six to ten weeks. “It’s going to be very difficult. It’s going to be very long and very, very bloody.”
That’s war, Milley said. “You see, war on paper and real war are different. And in a real war, real people die. There are real people on that front. There are real people in these vehicles. Real bodies are torn apart by explosives and so on and so forth.”
Milley is not surprised by Ukraine’s slow advance: “At the end of the day, Ukrainian soldiers are charging through minefields and into trenches. So, yes, sure, it’s a bit slow, but that’s the nature of war.” (kes)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
