Amidst global outrage against the US plan to donate cluster munitions to Ukraine the Trudeau government’s opposition has been muted. It reflects Canada’s hawkish position on the war as well as ambivalence towards the cluster convention and arms control initiatives.
On Friday the Biden administration announced new military assistance to Ukraine that includes cluster munitions. The horrific weapons often leave unexploded bomblets that later wreak havoc on unintended targets, particularly children. Some 20,000 civilians have been killed since the US stopped dropping these types of bombs in Laos half a century ago. More than 120 countries have banned these munitions. Many within Biden’s Democratic party and NATO have criticized the move.
On Sunday Politico asked Anita Anand, “What’s your reaction to the U.S. sending cluster munitions to Ukraine? This is a war where Canada is sending other kinds of weapons to Ukraine but has signed a convention opposing the use of cluster munitions.” Canada’s defence minister responded, “The suffering will not end until Putin lays down his weapons and gets out of Ukraine. Canada is focused on our obligations under international treaties and conventions, as well as providing Ukraine with the military equipment that it needs to fight and win this war. That’s my focus. We don’t support the use of cluster munitions, which Russia in particular has used heavily.”
Asked about the matter the next day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a similar reply, refusing to directly criticize Washington. But with criticism of the move growing, foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly was clearer in her criticism of the US when asked about it Tuesday. (more...)
Canada hesitates to criticize US cluster bomb ‘donations’
No comments:
Post a Comment