Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday said they disapproved of the United States’ decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions to help break through Russian defensive lines.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, the head of the Spanish Defense Ministry said she did not share and was “against” the US decision to send cluster shells to Ukraine, but stressed that she respected the decision of a “sovereign country.”
“Spain, based on the firm commitments it has with Ukraine, also has a firm commitment that certain weapons and bombs cannot be delivered under any circumstances… No to cluster munitions and yes to aid for the legitimate defense of Ukraine,” Robles is quoted by RTVE .
In turn, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a statement to the media quoted by Sky News , stressed that he “does not encourage” the use of cluster munitions, and recalled that Britain had signed a convention to ban them.
“We will continue to do our part in support of Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we have done so by providing heavy battle tanks and recently long-range weapons, and we hope that all countries can continue to support Ukraine,” he added.
Recall, on Friday, the United States officially announced the provision of a new package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $ 800 million , which included, in particular, advanced conventional dual-purpose ammunition (DPICM), or cluster shells.
The White House has previously explained that Ukraine is committed to minimizing the risk of using cluster munitions, and that those provided by the United States carry significantly lower risks to civilians than those already used by Russia on the battlefield.
Source : PRAVDA