Kiev: The latest Western countries to express disapproval of US President Joe Biden's decision to give Ukraine cluster munitions are Canada and the UK. Both nations have spoken out against using the weapons in the ongoing conflict with Russia and reaffirmed their support for a UN resolution that bans them.
The Canadian government informed the country's national broadcaster CTV on Saturday that "we do not support the use of cluster munitions." Ottawa is "committed to putting an end to the effects cluster munitions have on civilians - particularly children," the statement said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also informed journalists that London opposes the use of cluster bombs. He stated, "The UK is a signatory to a convention that prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use," and added that London would continue to support Ukraine in other ways.
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Canada claimed to be "fully compliant" with the 2008-adopted UN convention prohibiting the use of such weapons. Since then, the agreement has been ratified by more than 110 countries.
Cluster bombs are typically used against people and lightly armoured vehicles. They carry smaller explosive submunitions that are released in flight and dispersed throughout a target area. Additionally, they frequently leave behind unexploded "duds" that can linger for decades in former conflict zones.
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The use of this kind of weapon, according to veteran Canadian diplomat and disarmament activist Earl Turcotte, "continues to kill people," he told CTV. The former representative, who oversaw Canada's delegation at the 2008 convention on cluster munitions negotiations, urged Ottawa to expressly "speak out" against the US choice.
"The point must be made clearly and forcefully that any immediate military benefit cluster munitions might afford would be nullified and far exceeded by their humanitarian impact on the Ukrainian citizenry over the longer term," said Turcotte.
On Saturday, Washington adopted a different stance. When questioned about the potential harm that US-made bombs could cause to the civilian population in Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official responded, "The worst thing for civilians in Ukraine is for Russia to win."
Concern has been expressed at the UN and elsewhere about the US move that was announced this week by a number of countries, including some of America's allies. Germany reaffirmed its support for the UN treaty banning cluster munitions on Friday. The delivery of such ordnance to a conflict zone would send the wrong message, according to Austria, while Spain warned that Ukraine should not use it "under any circumstances."
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Moscow has denounced Washington's move as a "desperate" act that would have terrible repercussions for non-combatants but have no bearing on its ongoing military campaign. According to Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US will "share full responsibility for the deaths... of both Russian and Ukrainian children.