BY DARRAGH ROCHE
NEWSWEEK
ON 7/11/23
President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Democrats over his decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine amid the latter's ongoing war against Russia.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democrat, and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, have both reportedly expressed concerns about Biden's decision.
Sending cluster munitions, which are banned in more than 100 countries, to Ukraine has proven a divisive move among both Democrats and members of NATO, the announcement coming ahead of the military alliance's summit in Lithuania this week.
President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Democrats over his decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine amid the latter's ongoing war against Russia.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democrat, and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an Independent who caucuses with the Democrats, have both reportedly expressed concerns about Biden's decision.
Sending cluster munitions, which are banned in more than 100 countries, to Ukraine has proven a divisive move among both Democrats and members of NATO, the announcement coming ahead of the military alliance's summit in Lithuania this week.
President Joe Biden leaves 10 Downing Street after meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (L) on July 10, 2023, in London, England. Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine has raised concerns among some Democrats and allies.
LEON NEAL/GETTY IMAGES
CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju reported on Monday that both Warren and Sanders were concerned about the move.
"I am deeply concerned about the use of a weapon that has such terrible long-term consequences for civilians," Warren reportedly told Raju.
"Bernie Sanders also said he had concerns," Raju tweeted on Monday.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House as well as Warren and Sanders' offices via email for
Cluster munitions work by releasing multiple smaller bombs, or submunitions, over a wide area. These bomblets "explode on impact and can kill everything in an area of several football fields," Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), previously told Newsweek.
Warren and Sanders are leading progressives in the Senate and they have become the latest high-profile figures to express concerns about the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine.
Democratic Representative Barbara Lee of California said on Sunday that sending Ukraine cluster munitions was "crossing a line."
"Cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing a line," Lee told CNN host Jake Tapper. "We know what takes place in terms of cluster bombs being very dangerous to civilians. They don't always immediately explode. Children can step on them. That's a line we should not cross."
When reached by Newsweek on Sunday, a White House spokesperson pointed to national security adviser Jake Sullivan's remarks addressing humanitarian concerns during a press conference on Friday and pointed to other Democrats who have supported the decision, like Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
"But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us," Sullivan said on Friday.
"Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending. These are their citizens they're protecting. And they are motivated to use any weapons system they have in a way that minimizes risks to those citizens," he said.
Kelly supported the decision in a joint statement with a bipartisan group of senators, saying he appreciated "the work from the administration that went into this plan and will continue working with them and my colleagues in the Senate to provide Ukraine with the weapons and support they need to beat Putin and win this war."
Nonetheless, Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine has proven controversial with NATO members. The munitions are banned in more than 100 countries, including the U.K., which is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The U.S., Ukraine and Russia are not parties to the convention.
Biden visited the U.K. on Monday and met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has previously said his country "discourages" the use of cluster bombs but has not criticized Biden's decision directly.
Spain, Canada and New Zealand also stated their opposition to the use of the weapons.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said cluster munitions were "indiscriminate, they cause huge damage to innocent people, potentially, and they can have a long-lasting effect as well."
While New Zealand is not a NATO member, the U.K, Spain and Canada are all members of the alliance, which is holding a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday where the issue of cluster munitions could be discussed.
CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju reported on Monday that both Warren and Sanders were concerned about the move.
"I am deeply concerned about the use of a weapon that has such terrible long-term consequences for civilians," Warren reportedly told Raju.
"Bernie Sanders also said he had concerns," Raju tweeted on Monday.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House as well as Warren and Sanders' offices via email for
Cluster munitions work by releasing multiple smaller bombs, or submunitions, over a wide area. These bomblets "explode on impact and can kill everything in an area of several football fields," Guy McCardle, managing editor of Special Operations Forces Report (SOFREP), previously told Newsweek.
Warren and Sanders are leading progressives in the Senate and they have become the latest high-profile figures to express concerns about the provision of cluster munitions to Ukraine.
Democratic Representative Barbara Lee of California said on Sunday that sending Ukraine cluster munitions was "crossing a line."
"Cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing a line," Lee told CNN host Jake Tapper. "We know what takes place in terms of cluster bombs being very dangerous to civilians. They don't always immediately explode. Children can step on them. That's a line we should not cross."
When reached by Newsweek on Sunday, a White House spokesperson pointed to national security adviser Jake Sullivan's remarks addressing humanitarian concerns during a press conference on Friday and pointed to other Democrats who have supported the decision, like Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.
"But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us," Sullivan said on Friday.
"Ukraine would not be using these munitions in some foreign land. This is their country they're defending. These are their citizens they're protecting. And they are motivated to use any weapons system they have in a way that minimizes risks to those citizens," he said.
Kelly supported the decision in a joint statement with a bipartisan group of senators, saying he appreciated "the work from the administration that went into this plan and will continue working with them and my colleagues in the Senate to provide Ukraine with the weapons and support they need to beat Putin and win this war."
Nonetheless, Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine has proven controversial with NATO members. The munitions are banned in more than 100 countries, including the U.K., which is a signatory to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The U.S., Ukraine and Russia are not parties to the convention.
Biden visited the U.K. on Monday and met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has previously said his country "discourages" the use of cluster bombs but has not criticized Biden's decision directly.
Spain, Canada and New Zealand also stated their opposition to the use of the weapons.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said cluster munitions were "indiscriminate, they cause huge damage to innocent people, potentially, and they can have a long-lasting effect as well."
While New Zealand is not a NATO member, the U.K, Spain and Canada are all members of the alliance, which is holding a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday and Wednesday where the issue of cluster munitions could be discussed.
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