"They needed them": Biden on sending cluster munitions to Ukraine

Washington [US], July 8 : President Joe Biden on Friday said providing Ukraine with cluster munitions for the first time was a "difficult decision," but he was ultimately convinced to send the widely-banned weapons because Kyiv needed the ammunition against its ongoing counteroffensive against Russia, reported CNN.

On Friday, the White House announced sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, the latest episode where the UK has provided Kyiv with weapons it previously refrained from sending into war.

"It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill," Biden said, adding, "The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

The US President made these remarks in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria.

The munitions are compatible with the 155 mm howitzers that the US is providing, a crucial piece of artillery that has helped Ukraine retake territory over the last year.

Biden told CNN's Zakaria that the cluster munitions were being as a "transition period" until the US is capable to produce more 155 mm artillery.

"This is a war relating to munitions. And they're running out of that ammunition, and we're low on it," Biden said, adding, "And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defence Department to - not permanently - but to allow for this transition period, while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians."

The US and Ukraine have not ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which has been outlawed by more than 100 nations, including the UK, France, and Germany.

"They're trying to get through those trenches and stop those tanks from rolling. But it was not an easy decision," Biden said, adding, "We're not signatories to that agreement, but it took me a while to be convinced to do it."

He said further, "But the main thing is they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now - keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas - or they don't. And I think they needed them."

The decision to supply cluster munitions is made at a crucial juncture in the conflict when the Ukrainians are struggling to make significant progress in their counteroffensive against Russia.

On Sunday, Biden will depart on a week-long journey to Europe, which will include attending the NATO summit in Lithuania. The summit will be dominated by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as well as Kyiv's efforts to join the alliance, CNN reported.