Ukraine is taking risks by using cluster munitions, but this is a justified move. This was written by Eliot Cohen, professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
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Writing for the Washington Post, Cohen writes that the main risk in using cluster munitions is that some of them will not necessarily explode. If we talk about US weapons, then the number of such cassettes is about 2%, and in the case of Russia, we are talking about 30-40%. Unexploded ordnance can still detonate afterwards and become a threat to civilians even when fighting stops.
The hesitation about giving U.S. cluster munitions to Ukraine and arm-twisting in some circles says more that safe and liberal democracies misunderstand war than that any weapon is inherently terrible, Cohen said.
The author notes that free countries facing deadly threats have not acceded to the convention on the non-use of cluster munitions. Finland, Israel and South Korea stand out in particular. And for good reason: their enemies do not hesitate to stockpile and use such weapons against them.
Cohen notes that the most important thing is that these shells fall precisely on Ukrainian territory. So if a democratically elected government is willing to take on the undeniable risks to its civilian population of unexploded ordnance, it certainly has the right to do so.
The author notes that when it comes to the struggle for the survival of the people, conventional agreements fade into the background, which is repeatedly proved by the history of wars. It is in this situation that the Ukrainians now find themselves, who are confronting a much more powerful enemy in terms of military and human resources.
There is a solution for those whose whining about cluster munitions exceeds sympathy for the maimed or dead Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. It is to arm Ukraine as quickly as possible and with such a quality and quantity of weapons that can hasten the end of this war, Cohen concluded.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.