Free Republic

Key Democratic lawmakers are breaking with President Joe Biden over the controversial decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine, arguing that providing the weapons, which are banned by more than 120 countries, cedes the moral high ground and will end up indiscriminately killing civilians. Top Democrats on the House Rules Committee and the panels that fund the Pentagon and State Department lashed out in rare public statements broadcasting their break with their party’s president. “The decision by the Biden administration to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine is unnecessary and a terrible mistake,” said Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Mo.), the ranking member...

US President Joe Biden has reportedly made the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine's armed forces to enable troops to target well-entrenched Russian forces on the front lines. The US administration is expected to formally announce this action on Friday (July 7) as part of a new military aid package valued at $800million.

During a portion of an interview with Washington Post columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria set to air on Sunday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” that was released on Friday, President Joe Biden defended his decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine by stating that Ukraine is “running out” of the ammunition that they need, and “we’re low on it.” Biden said, “[I]t 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. And we’re in a situation where Ukraine continues...

The escalatory move is also an admission of Ukraine's failure, a senior Russian diplomat has said The US decision to include cluster munitions in its latest batch of military aid to Kiev is an admission of failure and a desperate attempt to stave off defeat, Russian ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, said on Friday. "Cluster munitions are a gesture of desperation. Such a measure speaks of the awareness of the United States and its satellites of their impotence," Antonov told reporters. "However, they do not want to admit their own setbacks and the failure of the Ukrainian military's attempts to...

Q Thanks, Jen. There are reports of illegal cluster bombs and vacuum bombs being used by the Russians. If that’s true, what is the next step of this administration? And is there a red line for how much violence will be tolerated against civilians in this manner that’s illegal and potentially a war crime? MS. PSAKI: It is — it would be. I don’t have any confirmation of that. We have seen the reports. If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime. Obviously, there are a range of international fora that would assess that. So, certainly, we...