Biden Defends ‘Difficult’ Decision to Send Cluster Munitions to Ukraine
President Biden defended his decision on Friday to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, which are outlawed by many of America’s closest allies, saying it was a difficult decision but “the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition” in the fight against Russian forces.
For months, Mr. Biden had wrestled with the decision to supply the weapons, which scatter tiny, deadly bomblets across the battlefield. They have been known to cause grievous injuries months or even years after the fighting ends, often among children who pick up duds that did not explode when initially dropped.
Ultimately, the president determined that depriving Ukraine of the weapons would amount to leaving it defenseless against Russia. He said it was a temporary move to hold Ukraine over until the production of conventional artillery rounds could be ramped up.
“It was a very difficult decision on my part — and by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill,” Mr. Biden said in an interview with CNN. “The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition.”
Source: The New York Times
