| "Ukrainians have been fighting heroically — but they're still outnumbered and outgunned," writes Josh Rogin. We have the ability to help — and doing so would not involve us sending more tanks or combat aircraft. Many of the advanced weapons delivered by the West are being held back for a planned counteroffensive likely to happen later this year. But there are more immediate needs that are not being met. Worries about Russia's ability to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses in the near term loom large in planners' nightmares. Ukrainians are now asking the West for cluster munitions for use in protecting their defenders. It's a difficult ask. Cluster bombs scatter explosives across a wide area, and many of these bomblets often do not detonate. Once the shooting stops, explosives are frequently stumbled upon by civilians — often children. Cluster munitions end up killing and maiming people for decades into the future. Human rights activists have worked hard to have these weapons outlawed. But neither Ukraine nor the United States are signatories to the Convention of Cluster Munitions. And there are more than 3 million rounds on hand in Europe left over from the Cold War — rounds that the Ukrainians could easily fire with their existing artillery pieces. Ukrainians argue that they are well aware of the risks, and that they would only be firing these munitions onto lands they are committed to liberating. "Because it is their lives on the line, it is their risk to take," Rogin writes. "And we should honor their request."  (Libkos/AP) A controversial weapon might be the only way to even the battlefield this spring. By Josh Rogin ● Read more » | | | | The right is very concerned about whether helping struggling people is "unfair" to somebody else. By Paul Waldman ● Read more » | | | President Biden's industrial policies are worthy, like support for computer chips and child care. But bundling these policies together is a bad idea. By Catherine Rampell ● Read more » | | | | Many Democrats will see the result as a warning to talk tougher about crime. By Eugene Robinson ● Read more » | | | NEWSLETTER Threatening punishment for infectious disease outbreaks won't make the world safer. By Leana S. Wen ● Read more » | | | | 
Email
No comments:
Post a Comment