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‘TOOK ME A WHILE’

Biden: It Was No ‘Easy Decision’ to Give Ukraine Cluster Munitions

Dozens of countries have outlawed the weapons—but the president says Kyiv desperately needs them.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2023.

Drew Angerer/Getty

President Joe Biden says he was reluctant to give Ukraine cluster munitions, which have been banned by scores of countries but decided they are essential to the battle against Russia. “This is a war relating to munitions. And they’re running out of that ammunition, and we’re low on it,” Biden said on CNN. “And so, what I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to—not permanently— but to allow for this transition period.” Biden said it was not an “easy decision” and “it took me a while to be convinced to do it.”

Read it at CNN

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