Biden officially approved sending cluster bombs to Ukraine.
After media speculation, US President Joe Biden officially confirmed in an interview with CNN that the country has approved for the first time the controversial weapons of “cluster bombs” in the hands of the Ukrainian army.
Biden claimed that this decision was a “difficult decision” for the US government, but that he and his cabinet finally made the decision “after consulting with allies and colleagues in Congress” because “the Ukrainians are running out of ammunition and in counterattacks.” They need these types of weapons.”
While the US President announced the sending of cluster bombs to Ukraine and consultation with the United Nations, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, and German Foreign Minister Analena Baerbock in separate talks on Friday expressed Berlin’s opposition to sending cluster bombs. announced to Ukraine. German Defense Minister in Bern said in this regard: Germany will not give cluster munitions to Ukraine, because this country has signed the convention prohibiting the production and use of this type of weapon. On the other hand, Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of At the same time, the Austrian Foreign Ministry announced: Austria is against sending cluster munitions to Ukraine due to the long-term threat to civilians.
In the continuation of this conversation, the details of which will be published on Sunday, by provocatively calling Ukraine’s membership in NATO before deciding the fate of the war, the US President admitted that Ukraine’s joining NATO before the end of the war could increase the risk of a direct military confrontation between Washington and Russia. Considering that it is unlikely that Kyiv will join NATO before deciding the fate of the war, Biden declared: I don’t think there is a theoretical consensus among NATO member countries to accept this matter now in the current critical situation.
According to Biden, “As long as NATO members vote for Ukraine’s membership in NATO in the current situation, in any case, we will adhere to the full support of the territories protected by the NATO alliance, and I am serious about this issue, even if a direct military confrontation. If it takes place, this will be our collective commitment.”
Earlier on Friday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, on the eve of the next meeting of NATO members, stated firmly: “Ukraine will never join the group of NATO member states.”
According to reports, Volodymyr Zelenskiy is currently intensifying diplomatic contacts and consultations among the members of the European Union to get support in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, next week (July 11 and 12) before the meeting of NATO members in Vilnius and joining NATO.
The counter-attacks of the Ukrainian army, which were promised months ago by Western and Ukrainian authorities and media, finally began on June 4 (14 June) quietly and without official announcement in various axes, and according to reports, Ukrainian forces have not only been successful so far. The defense lines of the Russian army have not been defeated and a significant advance has been made. Still, a large amount of modern military equipment donated by the Westerners has also been destroyed in these counterattacks or has been captured by the Russian army.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, has always emphasized that the Ukrainian army is determined to take back not only the lost eastern regions from Russia in the spring counterattacks but also the last Russian soldier from the Crimean peninsula, which was declared a referendum in 2014. It was annexed to the territory of Russia, and expelled, but the news from the battlefield so far does not present a clear vision to Zelensky and the Westerners.
Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of the National Security Council of Russia, announced on July 1st at the meeting of the members of this council with Vladimir Putin, the president of this country, that from June 4 (the beginning of counter-attacks against Ukraine) until Wednesday, June 21, the Kyiv regime will use 246 tanks, including 13 tanks from Western countries. 595 units of military armored vehicles and armored vehicles and 279 field artillery units have been destroyed.
And he also said: 42 multi-purpose missile systems and anti-aircraft missile systems, 10 tactical fighters, 4 helicopters, and 264 UAVs of the Ukrainian army were also destroyed. In the same period and during the counter-attacks, he also lost more than 13,000 soldiers.
