Is The US Giving Ukraine Cluster Bombs a Step Too Far?

Last week, President Biden faced criticism after announcing the United States would supply cluster bombs to the Ukrainian military. 

What are Cluster Bombs? An article in BBC News (Center bias) described cluster bombs as a “method of dispersing large numbers of tiny bomblets from a rocket, missile or artillery shell that scatters them in mid-flight over a wide area.” When the small bombs do not explode on impact, they run the risk of becoming landmines scattered over a large area. Over 100 countries have banned cluster munitions. Both Russia and Ukraine have used them since the start of the war. 

Opposed: The New York Times Opinion (Left bias) Editorial Board argued that cluster munitions are “not a weapon that a nation with the power and influence of the United States should be spreading.”  Outlining the potential risks and dangers involved in the use of cluster munitions, the Board determined providing these weapons is  “morally repugnant for the indiscriminate carnage it can cause long after the combatants have gone.”

In Favor: The Wall Street Journal Opinion (Lean Right bias) Editorial Board’s only criticism was that “the decision could have done more good earlier.” The article outlined how U.S. cluster munitions have a much lower rate of duds bombs than the Russian’s. Responding to criticism regarding blurred morality and ethics, the article states, “If you can’t see a moral distinction between Russia’s aggression and Ukraine’s use of cluster bombs for defense, then you have the blurred vision.”