The United States National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan has recently told the media that America will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, after a months-long debate within the Biden administration regarding the provision of that widely banned weapons to Kyiv. According to him, it was a difficult decision because of its potential harm to civilians, however after deliberating all pros and cons of the current situation of war in Ukraine, the entire US administration along with Congress, US partners, and allies unanimously decided to move forward on this strategy because the Ukrainians were running out of ammunition.
The geostrategic dynamics rapidly changed in the Ukrainian War after a failed mutiny agaisnt the Putin regime by the Wagner group in the past week. An open revolt by one of Putin’s close aides and a credible force multiplier in the war in Ukraine has significantly weakened the Russian war efforts and exposed flaws in Moscow’s war strategy, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities in Russian war doctrine. Historically, most of the Russian military successes against Ukraine had been possible only due to the pivotal role of the Warnger mercenary forces. The Ukrainian conflict grounded into a stalemate and the Russian military faces difficulty to counterweight a fresh Ukrainian offensive without help from Warger mercenaries. Meanwhile, the risk of a fresh revolt from the Wagner Chief is most imminent because he is in hiding and faces a serious life threat from Russian Intelligence which has probably received orders from Putin to close his chapter and dismantle his private Army and other infrastructure in Russia and abroad. At the same time, western allies perceive it a most favorable time to exert full pressure on the Russian military on Ukrainian fronts to push them back deep inside Russian territory by using all available resources including the use of banned weapons such as cluster and Dazy cutter bombs, etc. to make their efforts most lethal and effective agaisnt their staunch enemy. Presently, President Biden is heading to NATO and UK where the Urkiane war and Russia’s internal situations would come into discussion and Western allies will surely try to benefit from this opportunity. The war situation become so dire and the risks for the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) increasing with every passing day.
In fact, cluster munitions scatter hundreds of bomblets in a large area after it used and often failed to impact and explode later when encountered by an animal, human body, or any other thing just like landmines and cause irreparable loss to the civilian population and soldiers. Over 100 countries including France, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Spain, Australia, and others outlawed these munitions under the Convention of Cluster Munition in 2008, but the US and Ukraine are not signatories to that pact. Currently, some domestic rules prohibit the Biden administration from transferring cluster munitions to Ukraine but President Biden ha]s decided to overrule that legislation by invoking section 614 of the Foreign Military Assitance Act to make it happen at all costs.
The war in Ukraine has entered its 17th month, the furious fighting continues between combatant neighbors without pause. The ripple effects of war have shattered global peace and food security, worsened the energy crisis, and caused multifaceted humanitarian crises across the globe, particularly in Europe and Africa. Millions of Ukrainians are displaced from their homes and a majority of them living in the country have no access to food, water, electricity, healthcare, and essential commodities. The economic fallout of the war in Ukraine, and continued blockades of Ukrainian grains had intensified the famine crisis in East Africa while millions of lives are at risk due to hunger and mass starvation. The world economies are embattled with the worst effects caused by the Ukraine war but jingoists are considering out of box solutions for fueling one of the deadliest bloodshed in history.
A war is always a human tragedy and the war in Ukraine is one of the most costly and lethal episodes of human history that leveled equal cost to all nations and regions across the world. Both combatant nations have exhausted completely and Western allies intend to make the war decisive anyway to reach the victory stand as early as possible. President Biden has offered a lame excuse for his unjust decision of supplying banned weapons to his Ukrainian allies instead of providing them with traditional arms and ammunition which is already in practice. In fact, the advocate of human rights and civil liberties failed to feel his responsibility regarding recommendations of the Geneva Convention of War, which clearly asks to avoid collateral damage and protect civilians during the war, however, western leaders had always opted to protect their strategic interest instead of securing peace, guarding humanity, and preservance of human rights. Presently, no Western nation including the United States advocates for diplomacy, talks for peace with Russia, and an amicable solution to the Ukraine dispute, but everyone is working to further fuel the already intensified hostility that casts shadow of a global nuclear war in the world. The world has suffered most from wars, regional conflicts and global rivalries and people demand peace and tranquility. The world leaders should play a constructive role for bringing peace and prosperity in the world when get opportunity otherwise no one will remember them after quitting power.
