San Diego City Wire

Ahead of the Administration’s anticipated announcement to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) released the following statement:

“Since Russia defied the rules-based international order and illegally invaded Ukraine without provocation or justification, I’ve been grateful for President Biden’s expertise and level-headedness in handling this crisis. He’s united the international community behind Ukraine and been thoughtful and deliberate in deciding what weapons to send to Ukraine and when. So I’m incredibly disappointed and alarmed that the Administration is expected to send cluster munitions to Ukraine. 

“Our international coalition is strong because we’re united together and because we’re living up to our values – but sending cluster munitions defies these two tenets. Many of our partners don’t support this move with many having already banned cluster munitions from their stockpiles. We’ve seen Russia’s horrific use of cluster munitions in Ukraine – and we shouldn’t cede the moral high ground by criticizing their actions and then deciding to send cluster munitions ourselves.

“Cluster munitions keep killing long after their initial use with the potential to injure and kill civilians, especially young children, for generations. We’ve already seen these weapons hurt civilians in other post-war contexts like Cambodia and Vietnam, and we should do everything in our power to prevent that suffering, dismemberment, and death.

“Ultimately, our goal goes beyond winning this war – we want to win the future of Ukraine by building a free, open, and democratic Ukraine. But cluster munitions prevent the successful economic rebuilding and recovery that’s needed to ensure a prosperous Ukraine and maintain anti-corruption gains. We’re seen around the world as human rights defenders, but this decision would undermine that reputation, so I urge the Administration to stand up for our values and refuse to send cluster munitions to Ukraine.”

Original source can be found here.