According to The Washington Post, the anti-personnel mines are being provided to Ukraine on the condition that they are not placed in densely populated areas. The mines must also be designed to self-destruct or cease to function after a certain period of time, according to the newspaper.
The Russian power center, the Kremlin, is directing sharp criticism at the US decision.
They are completely obsessed with continuing the war in Ukraine and are doing everything they can to make it happen, says spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov to reporters in Moscow.
Anti-personnel mines are generally seen as a serious threat to civilians. Over 160 countries in the world, but not the US or Russia, have signed a convention banning these weapons.
New weapons package
The organization The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) also condemns what they call a "frightening" American decision. The organization will work to get the US to revoke it, they tell the news agency AFP.
Russia is using anti-personnel mines on a large scale to stop Ukrainian soldiers. According to The Washington Post's sources, the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, sees the decision on anti-personnel mines – which comes days after the US allowed Ukraine to fire American Atacms-robots at targets deep inside Russia – as one of the most important things the US and outgoing President Joe Biden can give Ukraine at present.
On Tuesday, reports also emerged of a new weapons package worth at least $275 million, equivalent to approximately 3 billion kronor, from the US and the Pentagon.
It's urgent
It's about, among other things, weapons for air defense, Himars-systems, and artillery grenades, armor-piercing Javelin and spare parts, according to sources cited by the news agency AP.
The outgoing President Joe Biden and his administration are working intensively to use, as quickly as possible, before the incoming President Donald Trump takes office in the White House, the over $7 billion allocated by Congress for support to Ukraine.
We are firmly determined to use the authorization that Congress has given us, says Sabrina Singh, spokesperson for the Pentagon.
