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Russian senate to call on world parliaments to condemn US cluster bomb decision — draft

The senators highlighted that the US plan to send cluster munitions to Ukraine represents "a sign of impotence against the background of the failure of the much-advertised Ukrainian 'counteroffensive'"

MOSCOW, July 17. /TASS/. The Federation Council, Russia’s senate, intends to call upon the parliaments of countries worldwide and interparliamentary organizations to condemn the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine, according to a draft of the relevant Federation Council resolution seen by TASS.

"The Federation Council hereby appeals to the parliaments of foreign countries and international [inter]parliamentary organizations to condemn the US decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, which is another step in the dangerous escalation of the conflict that will have serious humanitarian consequences," the draft resolution says. It was approved at a session of the Federation Council Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday and will be considered at a plenary session on Wednesday.

"The Federation Council expresses extreme concern and condemns the blatant, provocative decision of the US presidential administration to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions," the document said.

The senators highlighted that the US plan to send cluster munitions to Ukraine represents "a sign of impotence against the background of the failure of the much-advertised Ukrainian 'counteroffensive.’" "If the Kiev regime uses cluster munitions, the Russian Federation reserves the right to take harsh retaliatory measures in response. The latest ‘Wunderwaffe’ [German for ‘wonder-weapon’ - TASS], on which Washington and Kiev are betting, will have no effect whatsoever on the course of the special military operation being conducted by the Russian Federation. Its goals and objectives will be achieved," the senators emphasized.

On July 7, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the US had decided to provide Kiev with cluster munitions, the use of which is opposed by the United Nations.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that if US cluster munitions were delivered to Ukraine, Russian forces would be forced to use similar weapons against the Ukrainian army. He added that Russia had refrained from using cluster munitions during the special military operation because it was aware of the lethal threat they pose to civilians. According to Shoigu, the supply of these weapons by the Americans will only lead to a prolongation of the conflict.

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