RT.com
25 Mar 2023, 15:44 GMT+10
Those urging Washington to supply such weapons to Kiev should be aware of the consequences, Russia's deputy foreign minister says
Congressmen pushing the Biden administration toward supplying Kiev's forces with cluster munitions should note the implications such deliveries would have for NATO's own security, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said US lawmakers are apparently unaware of the potential consequences such a move would have for the security of the US-led military bloc or the prospects of normalizing Moscow-Washington relations.
His comments came after four republican congressmen officially asked US President Joe Biden on Tuesday to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, specifically dual purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), dismissing concerns that such a shipment could escalate the conflict.
Republican senators James Risch of Idaho and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, along with representatives Michael McCaul of Texas and Mike Rogers of Alabama, argued that Washington should not hesitate to send the controversial weapons, which are banned in 110 countries under a 2008 UN treaty, due to "vague concerns about the reaction of allies and partners and unfounded fears of 'escalation.'"
The request came after Ukraine asked the US Congress to press President Biden to approve the delivery of MK-20 cluster bombs, which Kiev intends to drop on Russian forces from drones. Ukraine had also asked the US for 155mm artillery cluster shells.
Washington has yet to officially approve the delivery of any cluster munitions to Ukraine, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby saying in December that "according to our own policy, we have concerns about the use of those kinds of munitions." The US is barred from exporting such weapons by law.
There have been multiple reports of Kiev's forces using Soviet cluster weapons in residential areas, both before and after Moscow launched its military operation in the country last year. One such incident was the March 2022 bombing of Donetsk, when a Tochka-U missile with a cluster payload killed over 20 people and injured dozens of others. Kiev denied responsibility for the attack. Human Rights Watch said in May that it could not verify the events.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Irish Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Irish Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has made public a visa decision that would usually be kept private. It did this to send...
MADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Paramount has agreed to pay US$16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over...
LONDON, U.K.: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won a vote in Parliament this week to move ahead with changes to the country's welfare...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Tánaiste Simon Harris has called on the United States to use every hour to reach a zero-for-zero tariff agreement...
DUBLIN, Ireland: A blind woman from Dublin says she was hurt while getting off a bus because the driver refused to pull in close to...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has warned that there could be a serious trolley crisis this summer...
ISTANBUL/PARIS/BRUSSELS: As searing temperatures blanket much of Europe, wildfires are erupting and evacuation orders are being issued...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. dollar continues to lose ground, weighed down by growing concerns over Washington's fiscal outlook...