Outgoing US President Joe Biden has decided to send anti-personnel landmines to Ukraine, multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed American officials.
The White House is said to believe that the weapons will help Kiev “blunt” the advancement of Russian forces. The move comes days after Biden reportedly authorized the use of long-range ATACMS missiles deep inside Russian territory, a policy shift that his administration has not officially confirmed.
According to the Washington Post, which was the first to report the latest development, the weapons will only be used within what the US considers Ukrainian territory and are of “nonpersistent” design, meaning they become inactive within weeks of deployment to mitigate long-term hazards.
The use of anti-personnel landmines is a matter of controversy. The Ottawa Treaty bans this type of weapon, though the US and Russia are not among the 164 nations which have ratified it. Ukraine did so in 2005, and has been accused by the UN of breaching its obligations.
The US previously supplied Ukraine with Claymore mines, which are also designed to injure or kill troops, but unlike landmines are placed above ground and can be triggered remotely. Washington has also provided cluster weapons, including rockets and artillery shells, which many US allies have banned due to the long-term threat to civilians that they pose.
In 2020, Biden lashed out at then-President Donald Trump for dropping an Obama-era policy which banned the transfer of anti-personnel mines to other nations, with the exception of South Korea. He called the change “reckless” and reinstated the restriction after coming to power, the Post noted.
American officials claim that Kiev ultimately decides how to conduct its conflict with Russia, and that Washington’s role is to provide the tools it needs. Moscow has called the Ukraine conflict a US-led proxy war against Russia, which the White House intends to wage “to the last Ukrainian.”
On Monday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan urged Kiev to send more troops to the front line, arguing that a shortage of personnel rather than weapons should be blamed for the failure to stop Russian advances. Kiev relies on brutally enforced mandatory conscription to replenish losses, as draft avoidance remains a major problem.