British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak highlighted today, Saturday, that "his country is among the signatories to the convention prohibiting the production and use of cluster munitions and urges against their use," following the U.S. announcement of its intention to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine. He added: "We will continue to play our part in supporting Ukraine against the illegal and unjust Russian invasion."
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated, "Cluster bombs should not be sent to Ukraine." She further noted, "Spain, based on its firm commitment to Ukraine, also has a strong commitment not to deliver certain weapons and bombs under any circumstances," emphasizing that "no to cluster bombs and yes to legitimate Ukrainian defense, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs."
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the U.S. decision to send cluster munitions to Kyiv, stating that they "will contribute to the liberation of Ukrainian territories." However, he committed to not using those munitions in Russian territory. Reznikov wrote on his official Twitter account that "the munitions will contribute to saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers," and added, "Ukraine will strictly adhere to recording their use and sharing information with partners." He further stated: "Our position is simple; we need to liberate our temporarily occupied territories and save the lives of our people. Ukraine will only use these munitions to liberate our internationally recognized territories. These munitions will not be used in officially recognized Russian territories."
Moscow criticized the U.S. decision again today, calling it another "blatant" example of Washington's "anti-Russian" approach. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated in a statement that it is another "super-weapon" relied upon by Washington and Kyiv without considering the dire consequences, but it will not affect the course of the special military operation or the objectives that will be fully realized.
The Canadian government expressed opposition to the use of the cluster munitions promised by Washington for use in the counteroffensive against Russian forces, reaffirming its commitment to the Oslo Convention that prohibits these controversial bombs. The Canadian government stated, "We do not support the use of cluster munitions and are committed to addressing the effects of cluster munitions on civilians, especially children." It added, "Canada is fully committed to the convention and takes seriously its obligations arising therefrom to encourage its adoption on the global stage."
Germany, a U.S. ally, as well as United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressed their opposition to the U.S. sending cluster munitions to Ukraine.
