China reacts to White House decision to supply cluster bombs to kyiv

Gasoline should not be thrown on the fire in the Ukrainian conflict, stressed the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Washington’s “irresponsible” supply of cluster munitions to the Kiev regime may cause humanitarian problems in the area of ​​their use, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference on Monday.

When asked by a reporter from the TASS agency about the decision of the Administration of US President Joe Biden to supply these types of weapons to Ukrainian troops, the official replied that gasoline should not be poured on the fire in the Ukrainian conflict.

“China has noted that the corresponding US decision has caused widespread concern in the international community. Many countries have explicitly expressed their opposition to this. Irresponsible delivery of cluster munitions could easily cause humanitarian problems,” he said.

Last Friday, the White House announced a new military assistance package for kyiv that will include this type of weapon. Biden stated that it was a “very difficult” but necessary decision, as the Ukrainian forces are “running out of ammunition”. Meanwhile, a number of countries, such as Spain, Canada, Germany and Austria, expressed their rejection of sending these projectiles to Kiev, warning of the danger they pose to the civilian population.

For their part, from Moscow they pointed out that it is “a gesture of desperation and a show of impotence”, as well as a new manifestation of Washington’s aggressive anti-Russian policy. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, the US decision is nothing more than “a cynical attempt to prolong the agony of the current Ukrainian authorities without taking civilian casualties into account.”

• Cluster munitions, first used during World War II, can be used in rockets, bombs, missiles, and artillery shells. Once launched, they open in mid-flight, spreading many minibombs over a wide area.
• Critics argue that, when dispersed, these submunitions can maim and kill civilians, compounded by the risk associated with unexploded projectileswhich represent a danger for years.
• Due to the lethal incidence of these weapons in the civilian population, 123 countries adopted a convention in 2008 prohibiting the use of cluster bombs. It should be noted that 111 nations are part of the agreement, while only 12 are signatories.