What calculations is the United States playing?, Multiple doubts! Providing Cluster Munition Ammunition to Ukraine | Ukraine | United States
On July 10th, according to comprehensive reports, after the US Department of Defense announced on July 7th that it would provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine for the first time, not only did Russia react strongly, but this decision also sparked opposition from multiple parties, including NATO allies of the United States.
US media analysis suggests that the Biden administration's decision to announce the provision of cluster ammunition at this time may be related to two factors.
Fill vacancies and deplete inventory?
Biden said in an interview with CNN that this was a "very difficult decision" and he has discussed the issue with allies, adding that "Ukrainians' ammunition is about to run out."
Data image: Biden.
According to previous reports, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg once bluntly stated that the Ukrainian military's ammunition consumption rate far exceeds that of Western countries in ammunition production, causing NATO country inventories to bottom out and making it "unaffordable" for military enterprises.
CNN pointed out that the cluster ammunition to be transported by the United States to Ukraine will be applicable to the 155mm howitzer previously provided by the United States to Ukraine. Biden stated that before the United States can produce more 155mm ammunition, cluster ammunition will be sent to fill the "transition period".
In addition to this reason, NBC also reported that the Biden administration tends to provide weapons to Ukraine. The United States has stored approximately 10000 cluster ammunition in Europe, which can be transported almost immediately to Ukraine.
NBC claims that the United States produced cluster ammunition during the Cold War and subsequently stored it in large quantities, many of which are now nearing their shelf life.
A week before the United States announced that it would provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine, a bipartisan group composed of members of Congress wrote a letter demanding that the Biden administration release "a huge undeveloped arsenal" to Ukraine.
Questions from allies and criticism from multiple sources
According to TASS, Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov described the United States' provision of cluster ammunition to Ukraine with a "desperate attitude". He said that such actions indicate that "the United States realizes that it is powerless against the situation in Russia and Ukraine... they are engaging in new crazy actions.".
Image: Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov.
He also stated that the United States is taking this action to prolong the conflict, and the Russian side will respond strongly to it. The Russian side also claimed that the US is responsible for the casualties caused to civilians by cluster ammunition.
In response to the US providing cluster ammunition to Ukraine, US National Security Assistant Sullivan stated at a White House press conference that Ukraine has provided written guarantees to use these weapons "very cautiously" to minimize the threat to civilians.
Sullivan also stated that Ukraine "will not use them on Russian territory and will not use them in densely populated areas.".
Nevertheless, this move by the United States has raised doubts from both domestic and allied sources.
According to US media reports, nearly 20 Democratic Party members in the US Congress expressed disappointment with the Biden administration's decision. Chief Member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, McCollem, stated that "the Biden administration's decision to transport cluster bombs to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake.".
The British Broadcasting Corporation stated that the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Spain have all expressed "opposition to the use of these weapons.".
The Canadian government stated in a statement that "we do not support the use of cluster ammunition and are committed to eliminating its impact on civilians, especially children." Reuters reported that Germany is a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and German Foreign Minister Berbok stated that the country opposes sending cluster ammunition to Ukraine.
The BBC believes that this move by the United States will inevitably lead to a certain degree of disagreement with its Western allies.
Data image: Banner with NATO logo.
In addition, the United Nations spokesperson also stated that UN Secretary General Guterres opposes the continued use of cluster ammunition. The United Nations Office for Human Rights has criticized the use of such ammunition, stating that it should be immediately stopped and not used anywhere. The International Red Cross also stated that cluster ammunition "would cause a significant amount of avoidable civilian casualties.".
Persistent threat with far-reaching impact
According to information released by the United Nations, cluster ammunition can be launched by air or ground, and a cluster ammunition warhead may contain dozens to hundreds of explosive submunitions.
Once fired, the warhead explodes in mid air, releasing bullets that can attack an area of over 30000 square meters. Anyone within this range, including innocent civilians, is unable to escape.
The impact of cluster ammunition is far-reaching, with some ammunition failing to explode as planned after firing, and continuing to pose a threat to the safety of civilians for years and even decades after the end of the conflict.
According to a report by National Public Radio, Kura Potala, an advocate for the ban on landmines and cluster ammunition in the United States, has stated that cluster ammunition "once dropped, will continue to affect the lives of civilians for decades to come.".
Kula Potala called on American leaders to "examine our history in countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq.".
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