Cluster munitions, a highly contentious weapon that has killed tens of thousands of civilians long after conflicts have ended, will be provided to Ukraine by the Biden administration, according to an announcement made on Friday. The cluster weapons would be included in a new $800 million package of military aid to Ukraine, according to the White House.
According to the CNN report, "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 decision comes on the eve of the NATO summit in Lithuania, where allies are likely to ask President Joe Biden why the United States would send a weapon into Ukraine that more than two-thirds of alliance members have banned because it has a history of killing a lot of civilians.
Additionally, Congress's response was polarized, with some Democrats opposing the plan and others supporting it.
What are munitions?
The US sees the munitions, which are bombs that open in the air and release a lot of smaller bomblets, as a way to get Kyiv the ammunition it needs to strengthen its offensive and break through Russian lines. US leaders discussed the prickly issue for quite a while before Biden made the final decision this week.
On Friday, Sullivan defended the decision, stating that the United States will send a version of the weapon with a lower "dud rate," or the number of smaller bomblets that do not explode.
Unwanted deaths are caused by the rounds that have not been detonated and frequently litter civilian areas and battlefields. Although they have not specified the number, US officials have stated that the country will supply thousands of rounds.
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