Biden on cluster munitions for Ukraine: 'Difficult decision,' but 'they needed them'

U.S. President Joe Biden has said that sending cluster munitions to Ukraine was a "difficult decision," but the Ukrainian Armed Forces need them in their counteroffensive against Russia.

Biden said this in an interview with CNN, Ukrinform reports.

"It was a very difficult decision on my part. And by the way, I discussed this with our allies, I discussed this with our friends up on the Hill," Biden said, adding, "The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to trying to get through Russian trenches and stop tanks from rolling.

"But it was not an easy decision," Biden said. "We're not signatories to that agreement, but it took me a while to be convinced to do it."

He added, "But the main thing is they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now – keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas – or they don't. And I think they needed them."

Biden said that while Ukraine's membership in NATO was premature, the United States and its allies in NATO would continue to provide President Volodymyr Zelensky and his forces the security and weaponry they need to try to end the war with Russia.

Commenting on the possibility of Ukraine joining the military alliance, he said: "I don’t think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war. […] If the war is going on, then we're all in war. We're at war with Russia, if that were the case."

On Friday, July 7, Biden approved the transfer to Ukraine of cluster munitions that will be compatible with U.S.-provided 155mm howitzers.

More than 100 countries, including the UK, France and Germany, signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use, production and transfer. At the same time, the United States and Ukraine (as well as Russia) did not join this ban.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine