War in Ukraine: Biden flies to UK amid concern over cluster bombs

US President Joe Biden is heading to Europe up of a Nato acme aft respective allies questioned his determination to nonstop clump bombs to Ukraine.

The UK and Canada are among those who voiced interest astir supplying the bombs, which are wide banned due to the fact that of the information they airs to civilians.

The US says they are needed due to the fact that Ukraine's limb stocks are dwindling.

Mr Biden volition get archetypal successful the UK, connected Sunday evening, earlier heading to Lithuania for this week's Nato summit.

On Monday, helium volition conscionable Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to sermon assorted issues, including the warfare successful Ukraine. He volition besides conscionable King Charles connected Monday - the archetypal clip the brace person met since the King was crowned.

The US confirmed it was sending clump bombs to the Ukraine connected Friday arsenic portion of a subject assistance bundle worthy $800m (£626m).

Mr Biden said it had been a "very hard decision" but that helium had yet acted due to the fact that "the Ukrainians are moving retired of ammunition".

But a fig of Nato allies rapidly distanced themselves from the decision.

Mr Sunak did not straight criticise his US counterpart but made wide that the UK was 1 of 123 countries that had signed up to the Convention connected Cluster Munitions, which bans the accumulation oregon usage of the weapons.

Canada, New Zealand and Spain - each Nato members, similar the US and UK - besides stated their absorption to the weapons.

"No to clump bombs and yes to the morganatic defence of Ukraine, which we recognize should not beryllium carried retired with clump bombs," Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles said.

But Germany, different signatory of the pact and Nato member, said that portion it would not supply specified weapons to Ukraine, it understood 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.

Cluster bombs typically merchandise tons of smaller bomblets that tin termination indiscriminately implicit a wide area.

One of the concerns surrounding their proviso is their nonaccomplishment - oregon dud - rate. Unexploded bomblets tin linger connected the crushed for years and past indiscriminately detonate.

Ukraine has promised the weapons volition not beryllium utilized successful civilian areas and volition show and study connected their use, but Russia dismissed these assurances arsenic "not worthy anything".

Mr Biden's sojourn to the UK comes a period aft the 2 countries signed the alleged Atlantic Declaration - an statement designed to fortify co-operation betwixt the countries.

Aside from the warfare successful Ukraine, it is besides expected Mr Biden volition question further enactment from Mr Sunak to assistance broker a woody with Turkey, which is presently opposed to Sweden joining Nato.

This, alongside the divisions implicit Ukraine's membership, volition beryllium among a fig of different issues that volition beryllium discussed during the organisation's two-day gathering successful the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

Also connected the docket volition beryllium boosting ammunition stockpiles and reviewing the alliance's archetypal defence plans successful decades.