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German president says Berlin should not hamper US’ supplies of cluster munitions to Kiev

Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted however that back in 2008, when he was German foreign minister, he signed the international convention banning cluster bombs in Oslo

BERLIN, July 9. /TASS/. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Sunday that he thinks that Berlin should not be in Washington’s way on the issue of supplies of cluster munitions to Ukraine.

"It is right that such munitions are prohibited by the federal government in Germany and that German is against such supplies," he said in an interview with the ZDF television channel. "But in the current situation, it (the German government - TASS) cannot be in the United States’ way."

He noted however that back in 2008, when he was German foreign minister, he signed the international convention banning cluster bombs in Oslo, that is why he "was biased" during these debates.

On July 7, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the United States had decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite the fact that the United Nations opposed the use of such munitions. He also said that Kiev had issued written assurances to Washington that those weapons would be used in a way minimizing risks to civilians. Pentagon Spokesman Patrick Ryder said on Thursday that the United States was poised to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions that posed the least risk to civilians.

Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Farhan Haq said earlier, commenting on media reports about the US plans to supply such munitions to Ukraine, that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres supports the Convention on Cluster Munitions and is against the use of such weapons on the battlefield.