Biden greenlights transfer of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine — WP
US President Joe Biden has approved the transfer of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine amid concerns over the rapid advance of Russian troops in the east of the country, The Washington Post writes, citing American and Ukrainian officials.
According to the sources of the newspapern, the Biden administration seeks to slow down Russia's offensive, so the transfer of mines there is considered a useful step for this.
The antipersonnel mine type is "nonpersistent," one unnamed official said. This means that the mines self-destruct or lose battery power, becoming inactive. This reduces the danger to the civilian population.
The US emphasizes that the Ukrainians have undertaken not to install such mines in densely populated areas, and their use will be limited to the territory of Ukraine, mostly in the east.
The Ottawa Convention, signed by Ukraine, prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines. At the same time, neither the United States nor Russia signed this document.
One Ukrainian official interviewed by journalists welcomed the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, despite the risks they carry. According to him, "Russia uses them anyway."
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