LONDON/OTTAWA: Traditio­nal allies of the United States have opposed the Biden administration’s decision to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Canada and the UK, considered to be some of Ukraine’s most vocal supporters, are also against the decision.

“Canada is against the use of cluster munitions that Washington has promised to give Ukraine for its counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces,” Ottawa said on Saturday, reiterating a commitment to the Oslo agreement that bans the controversial weapon.

“Canada is fully compliant with the Convention and we take seriously our obligation under the Convention to encourage its universal adoption,” the federal government said in the statement.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also said that Britain was part of a convention that “discourages” the use of cluster munitions, adding: “We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. But we’ve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine.”

Mr Sunak said “Russia’s act of barbarism is causing untold suffering to millions of people” and “it’s right that we collectively stand up to it”.

Germany, a signatory of 2008 Oslo Convention, said that while it won’t provide such weapons to Ukraine, it is certain that US understands the sensitivity of the decision and didn’t make it lightly, BBC reported.

Separately, Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the US decision, saying it would help liberate Ukrainian territory, but promised the munitions would not be used in Russia.

“Our position is simple - we need to liberate our temporarily occupied territories and save the lives of our people,” Mr Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

“Ukraine will use these munitions only for the de-occupation of our internationally recognized territories. These munitions will not be used on the officially recognized territory of Russia,” he added.

‘Act of desperation’

Russia has also strongly condemned the exchange by calling it an ‘act of desperation.’

“It is an act of desperation and shows weakness against the backdrop of the failure of the much-touted Ukrainian counteroffensive,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

“The latest ‘miracle weapon’ which Washington and Kyiv are betting on, without thinking about the grave consequences, will have no effect on the special military operation,” she said, using Russia’s official term for its campaign in Ukraine.

She also said Ukraine’s promises to use the controversial ammunition responsibly “are not worth anything”.

Russia itself uses cluster bombs in Ukraine but they are banned in many parts of the world. In total, 123 countries have signed the 2008 Oslo Convention banning the production, storage, sale, and use of cluster munitions. Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are not signatories.

Humanitarian groups have strongly condemned the US decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday secured Turkey’s crucial backing for Ukraine’s Nato aspirations followed by a pledge for cluster munitions in Istanbul.

“Ukraine deserves Nato membership,” Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, but he also urged that the two sides should go back to peace talks.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2023