St. Paul Reporter

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) released the following statement today after the expected announcement that the United States will transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine:  

“The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake. Congress has been clear in prohibiting the transfer of any cluster munition with a dud rate of greater than 1%. Allowing legacy U.S. cluster munitions onto the battlefield in Ukraine undermines our moral authority and places the U.S. in a position that directly contradicts 23 of our NATO allies who have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The legacy of cluster bombs is misery, death, and expensive cleanup generations after their use. The U.S. pays tens of millions of dollars annually to remove cluster munitions in Laos from the Vietnam era as these remnants of war continue to kill and maim civilians. As a strong supporter of the Biden administration’s policy in Ukraine, I must state in the strongest possible terms my absolute opposition to the U.S. transferring cluster munitions. These weapons should be eliminated from our stockpiles, not dumped in Ukraine.”

Original source can be found here