Allies understand why the US is providing cluster munitions

Allies understand that the United States is providing Ukraine with controversial cluster munitions.

This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in an interview with NBC on Tuesday.

"Every ally I've spoken to has said they understand why we're doing this and when we're doing this," Blinken said.

He reiterated that the United States is providing munitions banned by more than 100 countries to "fill the gap" as the world's ammunition stockpiles are depleting.

"Stockpiles of unitary munitions, not cluster munitions, are running out all over the world and in Ukraine. They are about to run out," Blinken explained.

"And so the difficult but necessary choice to give them cluster munitions came down to this: if we don't do it... they're going to run out of ammunition. If they run out of ammunition, they will be defenseless," he said.

Blinken noted that the Allies are working to increase conventional weapons capabilities, but "there will be a gap between when they run out of those munitions and when new munitions can come into service." Cluster munitions fill that gap, Blinken said.

Author - Olena Madiak, 11/07/2023