The Diplomat
The Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, said yesterday that Spain “does not share” and is “against” the United States’ decision to send cluster bombs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Spain, from the firm commitment it has with Ukraine, also has a firm commitment that certain weapons and bombs cannot be delivered under any circumstances,” said Robles in statements to the media at a PSOE event in Madrid.
When asked about US President Joe Biden’s decision to include thousands of cluster munitions in the new military aid package for Ukraine, despite warnings from the United Nations and in contravention of an international convention that prohibits the use of this type of weaponry, the Defence Minister replied that Spain has a “clear and categorical” position against this action.
In this respect, Robles, who pointed out that the sending of these bombs is the decision of the United States and not NATO, insisted on the “total and absolute” support of the Spanish Government for Ukraine, but said that in “legitimate self-defence, bombs such as cluster bombs are not used”.
“No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate self-defence of Ukraine, which we understand is not carried out with cluster bombs”, he said.
Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoli Antonov, said yesterday that the decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine is another US provocation that “brings humanity closer to a new world war”.
The use of cluster bombs is banned by more than 100 countries, but not by Ukraine, Russia or the United States.
Cluster bombs, which have been used in numerous conflicts since World War II, explode in the air over a target, releasing dozens of smaller explosives over a wide area, many of which fail to detonate, creating a long-term security problem for civilians.
