US President Joe Biden has approved the delivery of anti-personnel mines banned by the UN Ottawa Convention to Ukraine. This was reported by The Washington Post with reference to two US officials.
“Biden has authorised the supply of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, two US officials said,” The Washington Post reported.
According to the newspaper, by doing so, the US president “provoked criticism from arms control groups”. The material notes that by authorising the supply of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, Biden contradicts his own policy, since 2022 he cancelled Donald Trump’s decision on mines and renewed the ban.
“More than 160 countries (Ukraine among them – ed.) have signed an international treaty banning their use, noting that these indiscriminate weapons can cause long-term harm to civilians,” the article points out.
The White House sees such a move as an attempt to contain the offensive of Russian forces. Ukrainian officials, for their part, promised not to use mines in densely populated areas, but weapons experts warn that these weapons pose a threat to civilians, the publication summarised.
We shall remind you that earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the direct involvement of Western countries in the conflict in Ukraine changes its essence, Russia will make decisions based on the threats posed to it.
