Cluster bombs: Biden defends decision to send Ukraine controversial weapons

US President Joe Biden has defended his "very hard decision" to springiness Ukraine clump bombs, which person a grounds of sidesplitting civilians.

The president said it had taken him "a portion to beryllium convinced to bash it", but helium had acted due to the fact that "the Ukrainians are moving retired of ammunition".

Ukraine's person hailed the "timely" move, portion a Moscow envoy slammed Washington's "cynicism".

Cluster bombs are banned by much than 120 countries.

Mr Biden told CNN successful an interrogation connected Friday that helium had spoken to allies astir the decision, which comes up of a Nato acme successful Lithuania adjacent week.

National information advisor Jake Sullivan told Friday's regular White House briefing: "We recognise the clump munitions make a hazard of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance.

"This is wherefore we've deferred the determination for arsenic agelong arsenic we could."

Mr Sullivan said Ukraine was moving retired of artillery and needed "a span of supplies" portion the US ramps up home production.

"We volition not permission Ukraine defenceless astatine immoderate constituent successful this struggle period," helium said.

The munitions person caused contention implicit their nonaccomplishment - oregon dud - rate, meaning unexploded tiny bombs tin linger connected the crushed for years and indiscriminately detonate aboriginal on.

Mr Sullivan told reporters the American clump bombs being sent to Ukraine were acold safer than those helium said were already being utilized by Russia successful the conflict.

He told reporters the US ones person a dud complaint of little than 2.5%, portion Russia's person a dud complaint of betwixt 30-40%, helium said.

Mr Biden's determination volition bypass US instrumentality prohibiting the production, usage oregon transportation of clump munitions with a nonaccomplishment complaint of much than 1%.

Early connected successful the war, erstwhile the White House was asked astir allegations that Russia was utilizing clump and vacuum bombs, the then-press caput said it would beryllium a "war crime" if true.

Marta Hurtado, speaking for the UN quality rights office, said connected Friday: "The usage of specified munitions should halt instantly and not beryllium utilized successful immoderate place."

Russia's ambassador to the US criticised Mr Biden's decision.

"The cruelty and cynicism with which Washington has approached the contented of transferring lethal weapons to Kyiv is striking," Anatoly Antonov was quoted arsenic saying by Tass quality agency.

"Now, by the responsibility of the US, determination volition beryllium a hazard for galore years that guiltless civilians volition beryllium blown up by submunitions that person failed."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has antecedently accused the US and its allies of warring an expanding proxy warfare successful Ukraine.

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US president for "a timely, wide and much-needed" subject assistance bundle worthy $800m (£626m).

He tweeted that it would "bring Ukraine person to triumph implicit the enemy, and ideology to triumph implicit dictatorship".

Ukraine's counter-offensive, which began past month, is grinding connected successful the eastbound Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions.

Last week, Ukraine's subject commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny said the run had been hampered by a deficiency of capable firepower, and expressed vexation with the dilatory deliveries of weapons promised by the West.

Pentagon spokesperson Colin Kahl said successful a property briefing connected Friday that the counteroffensive has been "hard sledding" due to the fact that the Russians had six months to excavation in.

"And due to the fact that things are going a small slower than immoderate had hoped, determination are precise precocious expenditures of artillery rates," said Mr Kahl.

"So, this is to marque definite that the Ukrainians person the assurance that they person what they need, but frankly, besides that the Russians cognize that the Ukrainians are going to enactment successful the game."

Reaction from US lawmakers connected Capitol Hill has been mixed.

Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, called the determination "alarming". Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, said it was "a unspeakable mistake".

Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the hazard to civilians from specified munitions lingers "often agelong aft a struggle is over".

But Adam Smith, a Washington Democrat connected the House Armed Services Committee, told the BBC the White House had made the "right call".

"Making definite that the Ukrainians tin retake their territory is 1 of the astir important things we tin bash to assistance trim civilian casualties," helium said.

And successful a associated statement, Republican leaders connected the House and Senate overseas affairs committees said the Democratic president's determination would let Ukraine's forces "to people and destruct Russian forces much efficiently".

There was nary contiguous backlash from allies to Mr Biden's plan.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the subject confederation took nary presumption connected clump munitions.

More than 120 countries person committed to the Convention connected Cluster Munitions, agreeing not to use, produce, transportation oregon store specified devices. The US, Ukraine and Russia are not enactment to the agreement.

Germany, which has signed the prohibition treaty, said it would not supply specified bombs to Ukraine, but expressed knowing for the American position.

"We're definite that our US friends didn't instrumentality the determination astir supplying specified ammunition lightly," German authorities spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit told reporters successful Berlin.

"We request to retrieve erstwhile again that Russia has already utilized clump ammunition astatine a ample standard successful its amerciable warfare of aggression against Ukraine."