Use internationally outlawed
EU state wants to deliver cluster munitions to Ukraine
01/26/2023 06:17 am
After the West’s commitment to battle tanks, further demands for weapons came from Kyiv. An EU country now also wants to deliver controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. The country in question remains secret for the time being. One thing is certain: Germany would have to agree to the explosive delivery.
After the decision to supply main battle tanks, Germany and other supporters of Ukraine are faced with new weapons demands. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also asked his country’s allies for long-range missiles and warplanes on Wednesday evening. Apparently, Germany has also received a request from a European state to approve the delivery of cluster munitions.
On the day that Germany and the United States promised to supply main battle tanks, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video speech: “The more support our heroes at the front receive from the world, the faster Russian aggression will end.” It is important that the West also “start the delivery of long-range missiles”. Kyiv and its allies should also “expand our artillery cooperation” and enable the “deployment of combat aircraft”.
The Ukrainian head of state expressly thanked Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden for their commitment to supply heavy battle tanks. These would now have to be made available quickly and in sufficient quantities. After much deliberation, Germany and the United States announced on Wednesday that they would be supplying heavy battle tanks to Ukraine. This should enable Kyiv to launch a counter-offensive to liberate Russian-held Ukrainian territory.
Germany must agree to delivery
In order to strengthen the Ukrainian troops, a European country apparently wants to make cluster munitions available – and ask Germany for a delivery permit. His country wants to deliver the controversial ammunition to Kyiv, an official of the country said in Washington. His government has already decided on the delivery and now wants to ask for Germany’s approval for its participation in production. A decision by the federal government will probably take some time, the representative admitted. He expressly wanted to remain anonymous and not have the name of his country mentioned.
Cluster munitions are banned internationally because they can indiscriminately kill or injure people. Russia is accused of using cluster munitions in its war of aggression in Ukraine.
The representative of the European country said of his government’s delivery plans that cluster munitions had now been technically further developed “and the collateral damage is no longer as great” as, for example, in the 1940s and 1950s. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are among the 110 or so signatories to an international convention banning the use, transport, production and storage of cluster bombs.
Pistorius sees Leopard delivery as “no alternative”
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius meanwhile defended the delivery of German Leopard tanks to Ukraine as “there is no alternative”. Ukraine must be supported in order to be able to fight Russia, said the SPD politician in the ARD “Tagesthemen”. “There is simply no alternative on this point.” He was relieved that this decision had been made.
At the same time, the minister announced that the material missing from the deliveries to Ukraine would be quickly replenished for the Bundeswehr. He may want to hold talks with the armaments industry as early as next week.
In this context, the Union called for binding orders from the defense industry for new Leopard 2 tanks. Both the Bundeswehr and soon the Ukraine need supplies of new battle tanks, said the defense policy group spokesman Florian Hahn of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “It is fundamentally important for Germany’s ability to defend itself to immediately procure Leopard tanks, ammunition and everything else that the Bundeswehr had to give up,” said the CSU politician.