The Blubber

In a recent development, the United States has announced its intention to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are banned by over 100 countries, as part of an $800 million security package. Ukraine has expressed that this move will have an "extraordinary psycho-emotional impact" on Russian forces. The aim is to bolster Ukraine's counteroffensive in reclaiming territories seized since Russia's invasion in February 2022.

Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser, made the case for providing these arms to Ukraine shortly before the Pentagon officially confirmed the aid. While acknowledging the risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance caused by cluster munitions, Sullivan emphasized the need to prevent further harm to Ukrainian civilians due to Russian advancement. The decision to provide cluster munitions was made because Ukraine's defense effort was deemed to have "run out of ammunition," according to President Biden.

Cluster munitions are known for releasing numerous smaller bomblets that can cause indiscriminate casualties over a wide area. Unexploded bomblets pose a threat long after conflicts end. Ukraine has specifically requested these weapons to target Russian positions with entrenched troops. Sullivan assured that Ukraine has provided written assurances of careful use to minimize risks to civilians, and the U.S. National Security Council unanimously agreed to send the weapons.

The security assistance package, announced by the Pentagon, includes cluster munitions fired by 155-millimeter Howitzer cannons, additional Howitzer cannons, Patriot air defense munitions, and anti-tank weapons. It also includes Penguin drones, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as ground vehicles like Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker armored personnel carriers. This aid package marks the 42nd from the U.S. to Ukraine, totaling over $40 billion since the invasion.

However, the decision to provide cluster munitions has faced opposition from human rights groups. Human Rights Watch accused both Russian and Ukrainian forces of using these weapons, resulting in civilian casualties. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed his opposition to the continued use of cluster munitions. Germany, a U.S. ally and party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, also voiced opposition to sending cluster munitions to Ukraine.

While some Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee applauded Biden's decision, they called for further action, urging the government to provide the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range similar to the Storm Shadow cruise missiles already sent by Britain. It's worth noting that a 2009 U.S. law prohibits the export of American cluster munitions with a failure rate of over 1%, covering the majority of the U.S. military stockpile. Biden waived these prohibitions, following a similar move by his predecessor Donald Trump in 2021, allowing the export of cluster munitions technology to South Korea.