February 18, 2023 22:28
Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responded today, Saturday, to Ukraine’s request to supply it with cluster munitions and incendiary phosphorus weapons.
The Secretary-General of the Alliance rejected this request.
In statements to a German television station, the Norwegian politician said at the Munich Security Conference, “NATO does not recommend or supply this type of weapon. We supply artillery and other types of weapons, but we do not supply cluster bombs.”
Yesterday, Friday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov called for supplying his country with cluster munitions and incendiary phosphorous weapons.
The use of these two types of weapons is highly controversial, and cluster munitions are prohibited under international law.
Kubrakov said that his country also wants to use “a kind of combat tool,” noting that he understands the difficulties in delivering these supplies.
The name “cluster munitions” is given to missiles and bombs that detonate above a target and release many small explosive objects. As for phosphorous ammunition, it can cause the most severe burns and poisoning cases.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba defended his country’s claim to obtain cluster bombs. He told reporters, on the sidelines of his participation in the Munich conference today, that he understands that this type of munition is controversial in global politics, but he said that Ukraine is not a signatory to the treaty banning cluster munitions.
“From a legal point of view, there are no obstacles to this,” the Ukrainian minister explained.
Source: agencies
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