Statement that will escalate the crisis between the United States and Russia! Biden announces a ‘very difficult decision’

In an interview with CNN, US President Joe Biden spoke about Ukraine’s support for cluster munitions. Stating that giving cluster munitions to Ukraine was a “very difficult decision,” Biden said he has spoken with allies and congressmen on this issue.

Noting that Ukraine’s ammunition is running low, Biden asserted that this support is provided as a “transition period” until sufficient capacity for ammunition production is reached.

Recalling that they are not part of the convention on the ban on cluster munitions, Biden said: “However, it took me a while to be convinced to make this decision.” saying.

Biden underscored the message that what is important is that Ukraine has the weapons it needs in its fight against Russia.

The US Department of Defense announced that cluster munitions would also be delivered to Ukraine as part of $800 million in military aid to be made from its own inventory.

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES: NEW MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced that it will provide Ukraine with $800 million worth of new military aid, including cluster munitions.

Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s Under Secretary for Defense Policy, gave an update on the new military aid to Ukraine at the press conference.

Kahl, in the $800 million military aid package, “dual-purpose advanced conventional munitions” (DPICM), known as cluster munitions, 155mm howitzers, 155mm and 105mm artillery shells, additional ammunition for the Patriot air defense systems and artillery rocket systems, anti-tank missiles and rockets, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker armored personnel carriers, precision aerial munitions, demolition munitions, obstacle clearance systems, and various pieces of spare parts and operational support equipment, he said.

Noting that with this announcement, they will provide hundreds of thousands of additional artillery munitions to Ukraine as soon as possible, Kahl said: “This decision will allow us to continue our support for Ukraine, bringing us to a point where we produce enough weapons and ammunition on a monthly basis in the whole coalition.” saying.

When asked about the amount of aid and exactly when and in what volume, Kahl said: “I will not inform the Russians about this, but I can say that we are confident that we will continue to provide the Ukrainians with 155mm and cluster shells. munitions so they can continue artillery warfare for the foreseeable future.” he replied he.

Additional military aid to Ukraine was mentioned in the written statement made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. For cluster munitions, Blinken said in the statement, “a highly effective and reliable artillery capability to hit area targets that the United States has not previously provided to Ukraine.” he used the phrase.

Noting that the $800 million military package includes “critical security assistance,” Blinken noted that the United States and its allies and partners will remain united with Ukraine, no matter how long, until Russia halts its attacks and withdraws its forces from Ukraine. . Ukraine.

“UKRAINE GUARANTEED”

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan answered questions from reporters at the daily White House press briefing.

Stating that they provide military aid to Ukraine according to their needs in the field, Sullivan stressed that Ukraine needs artillery weapons to continue its operations.

Sullivan stated that they “will not leave Ukraine defenseless” and discussed the reasons for delivering cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Sullivan said that Russia has been using cluster bombs to attack Ukraine since the beginning of the war and suggested that the error rates for cluster bombs used by Russia are around 30-40 percent. “In this environment, Ukraine demands cluster munitions to defend its sovereign territory,” Sullivan said. saying.

Sullivan said the error rate for cluster munitions to be supplied by the US will not exceed 2.5 percent.

Noting that they are in close coordination with Ukraine on this issue, Sullivan said: “Ukraine is determined to continue post-conflict clearance efforts to reduce any potential harm to civilians, and this will be necessary regardless of whether the United States provides these ammunition. She used the phrase.

Sullivan stated that they are aware of the risk of cluster munitions harming civilians and have postponed a decision on this issue for as long as they could.

On the other hand, noting the risk of Russia seizing more Ukrainian land, Sullivan noted that Ukraine will use these stockpiles to defend its own land, not land of foreign countries.

Sullivan reported that Ukraine has given assurances in writing that it will use cluster munitions very carefully in a manner that aims to minimize any risk to civilians.

Noting that the US Department of Defense will announce the details of the military aid package, Sullivan said they have been in close consultation with allies on cluster munitions.

Noting that delivering cluster munitions to Ukraine was not an “easy decision,” Sullivan said he decided to move forward on this issue with the advice of US President Joe Biden’s national security team and consultation with allies and members of Congress.

BIDEN’S CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ‘CLUKE GRENADE’

In the US, Democratic congresswomen Betty McCollum and Barbara Lee criticized the Biden administration’s support for cluster munitions in Ukraine.

McCollum, a member of the Minnesota Democratic House of Representatives, said US President Joe Biden’s green light to support cluster munitions in Ukraine was a “terrible mistake,” Fox News reported.

“The Biden administration’s decision to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine was an unnecessary and terrible mistake,” McCollum said in a statement. he used the phrase.

Emphasizing that the result of cluster munitions is “pain and death,” McCollum said: “The United States pays tens of millions of dollars a year to remove Vietnam War cluster munitions from Laos because these remnants of the war they continue to kill and maim civilians. .” saying.

McCollum argued that cluster munitions should be “destroyed from US arsenals rather than stored in the Ukraine.”

Lee, another Democratic congressman, made a statement on his social media account, calling the Biden administration’s support for cluster bombs in Ukraine “alarming” and stressing that the remains of these bombs will continue to pose a danger to civilians. during years.

HARVESTERS

It was reflected in the press that the Joe Biden administration in the US was considering supporting cluster munitions in Ukraine, which was banned by many countries for a while.

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told a news conference the day before that variants of cluster munitions could be supplied to Ukraine with an error rate of less than 2.35 percent.

The use, stockpiling and sale of cluster munitions, which continued to be a threat for years as remnants of war, was banned by the international convention signed in 2008.

Cluster munitions are opposed because they are used indiscriminately on target and cause civilian deaths due to high miss rates.

The United States, Ukraine and Russia are not parties to the agreement.

While the vast majority of the 123 countries that are party to the agreement have committed to destroying cluster munitions within their borders within a certain period of time, Canada, France, Germany and Japan have so far destroyed such stockpiles. of bombs. (AA)