Efforts to 'Change the Balance of Power' in the Ukraine War; U.S. to Provide Cluster Munitions to Ukraine

The United States has finally decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine after months of discussions regarding their delivery to assist Ukraine in its battle against Russia. Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, confirmed on Friday that the U.S. will send cluster munitions as part of a new military aid package to Ukraine. Sullivan stated to reporters, "I don't want to stand here and say this was an easy decision; it was a hard decision, and that's why we delayed it for so long. This decision required careful consideration of the potential harm to civilians, and when we put all of this together, there was a unanimous recommendation from the National Security team, and the President ultimately decided to move forward with this strategy in consultation with allies and partners and with input from members of Congress." President Joe Biden confirmed earlier this week the shipment of these types of munitions, and CNN reported that the government is closely examining this action, as Ukrainian forces need such munitions to achieve better progress in their counteroffensives against Russia. Republican Senator Tom Cotton also supported the President's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine on Friday. He tweeted, "For Ukrainian forces to defeat Putin, they need at least equal access to the weapons that Russia is already using against them, such as cluster munitions. Sending this new equipment is the right decision, even if it takes a long time, and I have supported it." Cluster munitions have been banned by over 120 countries because they typically release many smaller bombs that can lead to civilian casualties over a wide area. The Pentagon has committed to sending only cluster munitions to Ukraine that have a lower explosive range and a reduced amount of munitions that will detonate in a secondary explosion compared to other models. General Patrick Ryder stated on Thursday that Russia has used cluster munitions against Ukraine several times, including firing munitions at a kindergarten in the early days of the war, and Human Rights Watch claims that cluster munitions are responsible for civilian casualties in Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, the United States has a large stockpile of cluster munitions remaining from the Iraq War that could be very effective in the war in Ukraine.