Joe Biden is in Europe as he tries to sure up support for Ukraine, 500 days after Russia kicked off its war

 
Democratic lawmakers in Washington have expressed concerns over President Joe Biden’s administration’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine in order to combat the ongoing Russian invasion.

The United States announced on Friday that it would provide Kyiv with these widely banned munitions as part of an $800 million security package, bringing the total U.S. military aid to Ukraine to over $40 billion since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

This decision has raised questions from human rights groups and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Democratic Senator Tim Kaine voiced his reservations, highlighting that it could potentially encourage other countries to disregard the international convention that prohibits the use of cluster bombs.

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, stated on Sunday that Ukraine had given written assurances that the cluster bombs would not be used in Russia or populated areas.

Cluster munitions, which release numerous small bomblets that can cause indiscriminate casualties over a wide area, are prohibited by over 100 countries. Notably, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of these weapons.

Calls have been made by lawmakers, such as Senator Lee, urging the Biden administration to reconsider its decision.