Ukraine’s need for weapons to continue its counter-offensive may justify the use of controversial cluster munitions, which the United States has now agreed to provide, according to an expert from the West Point military academy in the US.
International relations professor Robert Person told DW’s Brent Goff that Ukraine has a “real need” for more and more powerful weapons as it pushes back against Russia.
“They’re continuing a fight for their survival, and they’re certainly, I think, justified in finding every means at their disposal to continue that fight against a greater enemy,” Person said in the segment. in Ukraine.
“This is also something that is necessary due to the lack of conventional artillery rounds that we have heard for more than a year, as Ukraine and its partners and allies are scouring the world for unused shells.”
Cluster munitions are controversial because they work by breaking up the air and releasing multiple “bombs” over a wide area.
Not all explosives from cluster munitions detonate on impact, which means they can kill or maim people years later like landmines.
However, Person said the threat to civilians depends on how these weapons are used on the battlefield.
“Now, when we talk about the effect of cluster munitions on civilians, I think it is important to note that during this war, Russia was the part that actively used cluster munitions against civilians population, it seems to be intentional,” said Person. .
“Once again, I have confidence on the Ukrainian side that they will only target military targets, legitimate military formations in such a way that the Russians do not show such restraint.”
The person also pointed out that Ukraine’s military partners can help mitigate the potential impact of cluster munitions on civilians.
“I personally believe that if the United States supplies these munitions to Ukraine, we also have an obligation to help with the importance of demining and post-conflict cleanup,” he said.
