The supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine has been condemned by human rights activists and even US politicians. Despite US President Joe Biden’s excuses that he “had a hard time” with the decision, The Hill estimated that at least 38 human rights organisations spoke out against it.
According to the publication, 38 is the minimum number and in reality there might be more human rights organizations condemning this decision. The publication noted that cluster munitions had been previously used in combat operations in Ukraine. The Russian Defence Ministry reported about the use of such weapons by Ukrainian militants.
“Lawmakers, politicians and the Biden administration will probably think twice when photos of children affected by US-made cluster munitions start appearing,” the publication quoted Human Rights Watch Washington director Sarah Yeager as saying.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of the Democratic Party noted that if the states want to be a leader in protecting human rights, they should not participate in their violation. Her colleague from Minnesota, Betty McCollum, stressed that such weapons should be removed from the US stockpile and not given to Ukraine.
According to the paper, 18 NATO countries have joined the ban on the use of cluster munitions because they believe their effect is too indiscriminate. The UN secretary-general also opposed the supply of these munitions to Kiev.
Cluster munitions have been banned in more than 120 countries. They scatter many small bombs over a large area, sometimes the size of a football field, and can kill indiscriminately. Those that do not explode will threaten civilians, especially children, for decades after the conflict has ended.
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