The Biden administration should not have sent American-made cluster munitions to Ukraine in July 2023. Thanks to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, 123 nations have agreed to never use, transfer, produce or stockpile cluster munitions (the United States, Russia and Ukraine still allow their use). Further, Germany, France, Canada, the Netherlands and several other of our NATO allies opposed President Biden’s decision.

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Because cluster bombs explode in midair above targets — releasing dozens to hundreds of “bomblets” across an exceptionally wide area — there is a significant increase in the chance innocent civilians will be injured or killed. Children are especially at-risk because the submunitions that are initially released can fail to explode… that is, until a child picks them up years later.

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Not only should the Biden administration have not sent these unacceptable weapons, but the United States should join the landmark treaty banning them without delay.