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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian diplomat posts video of former White House spokeswoman criticizing cluster bombs

The video shows Jen Psaki hitting out at cluster bombs on February 28, 2022

MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday posted to social media a video of former White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying the use of cluster munitions is a war crime.

Zakharova brought up the issue in connection with the US move to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine. The video posted to Telegram shows Psaki hitting out at cluster bombs on February 28, 2022.

"A year and a half later, Jake Sullivan, a national security advisor to US President [Joe] Biden told a news conference at the White House about plans to give Ukraine cluster munitions. Waiting for an appearance by Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre," Zakharova said on Telegram.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Friday that Washington is giving Ukraine a new $800 million military aid package, including cluster munitions.

Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, earlier said that the UN chief supports the Convention on Cluster Munitions and opposes the use of this type of weapons on the battlefield.

Cluster munitions

Cluster bombs can contain hundreds of submunitions. When the bomb is detonated in the air, the submunitions are scattered over an area of tens of square meters. Some of them do not explode immediately and remain on the ground, posing a threat to civilians long after the conflict has ended. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted in 2008, has been joined by 111 countries, and another 12 have signed but not yet ratified it.

According to the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, the proportion of unexploded submunitions is usually significantly higher than stated.

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Foreign policy Ukraine United States Maria Zakharova Military operation in Ukraine

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