NATO's Stoltenberg Rejects Ukraine's Demands On Cluster Bombs Supply

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2023) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Saturday rejected Ukraine's demands on the supply of cluster bombs, saying that the alliance delivered artillery and other types of weapons to Kiev and did not recommend to deploy such bombs.

"NATO does not recommend and does not supply such types of weapons. We deliver artillery and other types of armament, but not cluster bombs," Stoltenberg told the RTL broadcaster at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on the sidelines of the security conference asked for the supply of cluster bombs, which are banned in many countries under the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters that Ukraine was not a contracting party to the convention and assumed that such a delivery would be legally possible.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022. In December, Kiev said it hoped to receive tanks from Western countries in 2023.

In February, Ukraine's government started negotiations with its allies on the supply of longer-range missiles and jets to prepare for a counter-offensive. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further escalation that could lead to direct involvement of US and NATO in the conflict.