Moscow recently said the deliveries would make Washington an accomplice to civilian deaths
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as he speaks during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair in Paris, on June 16, 2023. © Alain JOCARD / AFP
The US has ‘debased’ itself by supplying Ukraine with widely banned cluster munitions, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said, adding that the weapons will not have a significant impact on the conflict.
Writing on Twitter on Saturday, the billionaire said: “We have run out of normal ammunition to send Ukraine, so now send them cluster bombs in desperation, debasing ourselves with no change to the outcome.”
Musk praised the efforts of the 98 House Republicans and 49 Democrats who voted to ban the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, but ultimately failed to make a difference. “Thank you for trying to stop this debasement of America,” he said.
The US approved the delivery of cluster munitions to Kiev earlier this month, with President Joe Biden calling the move a stopgap measure to allow military production to catch up with soaring demand as both Washington and Kiev are running low on ordinary munitions.
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Cluster munitions are banned in more than 100 countries because when they explode, they release a large number of bomblets across a wide area which often fail to detonate, posing a serious threat to civilians for many years after the fighting is over.
Many of Washington’s long-time allies, including the UK, Canada, and Germany, have expressed concerns about the decision, saying they will not send the controversial munitions to Kiev.
Russian officials have condemned the delivery of cluster munitions. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that while the move will not change the outcome of the conflict, it de facto makes Washington “an accomplice in mining [Ukraine’s] territory,” which means that it “will share full responsibility for the deaths… of both Russian and Ukrainian children.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned that if the US supplies cluster munitions to Kiev, Moscow “will be compelled to use equivalent weapons against the Ukrainian forces.”
