Global Courant
WASHINGTON
A group of Democratic lawmakers denounced US President Joe Biden’s decision on Friday to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine as “undermining” Washington’s moral authority.
“The Biden administration’s decision to hand over cluster munitions to Ukraine is an unnecessary and terrible mistake,” Betty McCollum, a senior Democratic member of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, said in a statement.
“Allowing ex-US cluster munitions to enter the battlefield in Ukraine undermines our moral authority and puts the United States in direct conflict with our 23 NATO allies who have joined the Cluster Munitions Convention,” added the Minnesota congressman.
Barbara Lee of the state of California said she was “concerned” that Biden was “considering sending cluster bombs to Ukraine”.
Pointing out that the munitions had threatened civilians for decades, Lee said lawmakers had written to the president about the “need to end the use of cluster bombs.”
“The Ukrainian people are fighting for their rights, freedoms and humanity. The United States and Ukraine do not need to come down to Putin’s level,” he said.
Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Air Force veteran, wrote on Twitter that he was “strongly” against the administration’s decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine.
Cluster munitions can be indiscriminate and have the potential to harm civilians years after the conflict has ended. Now that Russia has reportedly used them, there are those who say these weapons are necessary to level the battlefield. I object to this assessment.”
“I challenge the idea that we should use the same tactics that Russia uses. And I invite all of us to remember that this war will end and the broken pieces of Ukraine will have to be rebuilt. History not only remembers who won. But also how a war is won,” he added.
Jim McGovern of Massachusetts said he would continue to “strongly support” helping Ukraine against Russia, but “fragmentation munitions won’t help”.
“I am universally opposed to the use of these internationally banned weapons. I urge President Biden to listen to our NATO allies, such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain, who oppose the sending of cluster munitions to Ukraine for the same reasons.” .
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