The United States announced Friday it will provide cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time as Kyiv's forces face tough fighting in their counteroffensive against invading Russian troops, reports AFP.
The move drew sharp criticism from rights groups due to the danger unexploded bomblets pose, but Washington said it has received assurances from Kyiv that it would minimize risk to civilians, including by not using the munitions in populated areas.
President Joe Biden told CNN that the decision to provide the munitions was "very difficult," but that Ukrainian forces were "running out of ammunition."
"They either have the weapons to stop the Russians now -- keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas -- or they don't. And I think they needed them," he said.
A new military aid package announced Friday includes "dual-purpose improved conventional munitions," the Pentagon said in a statement, referring to cluster bombs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rapidly expressed gratitude for the "much-needed" aid, tweeting that "the expansion of Ukraine's defense capabilities will provide new tools for the de-occupation of our land and bringing peace closer."
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan explained the decision by saying there is "a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery."
Kyiv "has provided written assurances that it is going to use these in a very careful way," he said, noting that Ukraine's government "has every incentive to minimize risk to civilians, because it's their citizens."
Ukraine pledged that it would not use the rounds in civilian-populated areas, and would record where they use them to assist demining efforts after the war, added US Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
