In announcing the inclusion of cluster bombs in the new package of military aid to Kiev, Washington has actually crossed an ethical boundary, Le Monde writes in an editorial. As the paper explains, cluster bombs, while highly effective on the battlefield, have one serious drawback: if they do not explode completely on impact, they permanently endanger the affected territory by striking civilians in a completely indiscriminate manner.
The consequences of the use of such shells have been fully documented, and for this reason a great many countries in 2008 “made the right decision to ban their use,” the newspaper notes, adding that this includes the vast majority of European countries that support Kiev. That said, Pentagon doctrine still views cluster bombs as “legitimate weapons with clear military utility.”
“As a matter of principle, we can only regret this escalation of tensions,” the newspaper writes. The dangers associated with the use of cluster munitions, according to the article, are obvious. “As the war is fought in Ukraine, Ukrainian civilians will be exposed to munitions for a long time, which will eventually have a negative impact on reconstruction where they were used,” Le Monde’s editorial states.
As the White House acknowledged, the intensity of the ongoing fighting has severely tested U.S. reserves to the point of opening the way for these controversial supplies to counterbalance Russia’s superiority in artillery. This admission of weakness will affect all of Ukraine’s Western allies, the newspaper warns. By doing so, Washington is stepping on dangerous ground of escalating conflict, the paper warns.
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