There’s been a flurry of news away from the battlefield in Ukraine, as Kyiv’s allies prepare for a consequential NATO summit in Lithuania in the coming days, and the United States enters uncharted territory with its latest contribution to Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
If you’re just catching up, here are some of the key headlines from Friday:
Ukraine gets a controversial addition to its arsenal: The US will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package, officials confirmed. The decision follows months of debate within the Biden administration about whether to, for the first time, provide Kyiv with the controversial weapons banned by over 100 countries — including key US allies.
Cluster munitions scatter “bomblets” across large areas that can fail to explode on impact and can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines. The US Defense Department defended its decision, in part, by emphasizing that it was providing only newer versions of the weapons which have lower “dud rates,” meaning fewer bomblets go unexploded and pose a future threat.
Biden outlines his thought process: US President Joe Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that it was a “difficult decision” to provide Ukraine with the cluster munitions, but that he was ultimately convinced to send the weapons because Kyiv is running out of ammunition in its counteroffensive against Russia. Moscow’s success, he argued, poses an even greater threat than the controversial munitions.
“They either have the weapons to stop the Russians now — keep them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas — or they don’t. And I think they needed them,” said Biden, who told Zakaria he had deeply considered the issue and consulted allies.
World leaders gear up for the NATO summit: Key storylines to watch when the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, kicks off Monday include Sweden’s stalled accession to the alliance. It has been left behind even as Finland, which was also driven to abandon neutrality by Russia’s war, joins NATO’s ranks.
The US is trying to help Sweden clear its final hurdles to membership and address objections from Turkey. Ukraine’s president, meanwhile, said Friday that a lack of unity on Sweden’s accession threatens the alliance’s strength.
Ukraine’s own admission to NATO will not immediately result from the summit, a White House official said Friday, but the gathering will provide an opportunity to discuss its future accession and rally support for its war effort. There could also be consequential meetings on the Black Sea grain deal, a vital pact for addressing global hunger by ensuring safe shipments from Ukrainian ports.
