National Security Council spokesman John Kirby defended Joe Biden’s approving cluster bombs for Ukraine, which Kremlin says is a confession to imminent “war crimes.”
Cluster bombs are banned in over 120 countries for being ‘indiscriminate’ and likely to result in civilian deaths.
Kirby told ABC that “we can all agree that more civilians have been and will continue to be killed by Russian forces… than will likely be hurt by the use of these cluster munitions.”
Watch
Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, noted Kirby’s “confession” to war crimes by defending cluster bombs.
“We have taken note of the Director for Strategic Communications of the NSC, John Kirby’s statements about the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine,” Antonov said.
“The official de facto confessed to the United States committing war crimes during the Ukrainian conflict.”
“He overtly stated that civilians would fall victim to cluster-type weapons.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a scathing report after reports the US administration will send the cluster bombs:
- Ukrainian forces have used cluster munitions that caused deaths and serious injuries to civilians
- Russian forces have extensively used cluster munitions, causing many civilian deaths and serious injuries
- Cluster munitions used by Russia and Ukraine are harming civilians now and will leave bomblets behind that will continue to do so for many years
- Both sides should immediately stop using cluster munitions and not seek to obtain more of these indiscriminate weapons. The US should not transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine.
The Biden administration announced to send M864 155-millimeter artillery shells, or Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM), to dispense smaller explosive weapons over an area to attack personnel and vehicles.
The decision goes back to a previous decision to withhold the weapons.
Cluster munitions Biden is sending to Ukraine are controversial due to the risk against civilians from “dud” submunitions, which can cause harm long after a conflict is over.
Cluster munitions were manufactured in the 1990s, The Washington Post reported.
Last week, RFK Jr slammed Biden’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine.
“Cluster bombs are munitions so horrific for civilians that more than a hundred nations have signed an international treaty banning them,” Kennedy posted on Twitter.
“Now the Biden administration is preparing to send them to Ukraine.”
READ: RFK Jr: “The CIA Is the Biggest Funder of Journalism around the World”
