Biden’s Tough Call: Sending Controversial Cluster Bombs to Ukraine

President Joe Biden of the United States recently made a hard choice. He decided to send controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine. These bombs are known for causing harm to civilians. Biden said he had to think long and hard before making this decision. He did it because Ukraine was running out of ammunition.

Ukraine’s leader praised Biden’s decision, calling it timely. But a representative from Moscow criticized the US for its “cynicism”. Over 120 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs.

Cluster bombs are dangerous because they can fail to explode and remain on the ground for years. They can then explode at any time, causing harm to anyone nearby. The US claims that their cluster bombs are safer than those used by Russia in the conflict, with a failure rate of less than 2.5%.

Biden’s decision goes against a US law. This law forbids the making, using, or transferring of controversial cluster bombs that have a failure rate of more than 1%. The White House had previously stated that using such bombs could be considered a “war crime”.

The United Nations’ human rights office has called for an immediate stop to the use of these bombs. They should not be used anywhere, they said. Russia’s ambassador to the US criticized Biden’s decision, saying it could lead to innocent civilians being harmed by unexploded bombs.

The Tough Decision on Controversial Cluster Bombs

Despite the controversy, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Biden for the military aid package worth $800m. He believes it will help Ukraine win against its enemy. The conflict in Ukraine continues, especially in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions.

In the US, reactions to Biden’s decision have been mixed. Some lawmakers have called it a “terrible mistake”, while others believe it was the “right call”. They argue that helping Ukraine reclaim its territory can reduce civilian casualties.

More than 120 countries have agreed not to use, produce, transfer, or store controversial cluster bombs. The US, Ukraine, and Russia have not joined this agreement. Germany, a signatory of the ban treaty, said it would not provide such bombs to Ukraine, but understands why the US made its decision.

Biden’s decision to send controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine is a complex issue with many different viewpoints. The ongoing conflict and the need to protect civilians make this a difficult situation with no easy solutions.