If provided, US to 'carefully select' cluster munitions for Ukraine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Jul 2023 00:13
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According to the White House on Thursday, the Biden administration continues to consider whether to send them, as it may require presidential approval to go through with it.

Pentagon Spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder at a briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on May 9, 2023 (AP)

Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder announced on Thursday that the potential provision of dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs) to Ukraine is not a possible discussion, claiming that the US will not transfer older variants of the cluster munitions as they pose a greater risk to civilians.

Cluster bombs are prohibited under the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), an international convention that, through a categorical prohibition and a framework for action, tackles the humanitarian repercussions and unacceptable harm inflicted on civilians by cluster munitions.

During a press briefing, he said, "In terms of DPICMs, I don’t have anything to announce today," adding, "That is something that is under consideration… the ones that we are considering providing would not include older variants with dud rates that are higher than 2.35%."

According to the White House on Thursday, the Biden administration continues to consider whether to send them, but it may require presidential approval to go through with it.

Russia already warned the US against sending the cluster munitions to Ukraine, and Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia argued it would count as a bigger step toward escalating the conflict.

Ryder continued to declare that if the Biden administration does agree to send them, the US will carefully select which cluster munitions variants to send.

"As I mentioned before, in the event that we do provide this capability, we would be carefully selecting rounds with low dud rates for which we have recent testing data," he stated.

Late last month, the US military said that despite it being banned by most countries, supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs could be useful against Russia.

The Ukrainian government has urged members of Congress to put pressure on President Joe Biden's administration to accept the shipment of Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM). Cooper stated that congressional constraints and concerns from US allies are the reasons why such munitions have not yet been approved for Kiev.