US President Joe Biden. Photo: Leah Millis, Reuters
The international human rights organisation Amnesty International has sharply criticised US President Joe Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines, calling it a “reckless step” that contradicts international standards and endangers the lives of civilians. This is stated in the organisation’s statement published on its official website.
“This is a reckless decision and a step backwards that is deeply disappointing, especially from a president who once acknowledged that landmines increase the risk to civilians,” said Ben Linden, Amnesty International USA’s Director of Advocacy for Europe and Central Asia.
Criticism from human rights activists
Ben Linden also expressed surprise that Joe Biden had made “such a dangerous and significant decision at the final stage of his political career”. Amnesty International stressed that anti-personnel mines are indiscriminate weapons that can maim and kill civilians even decades after the end of hostilities.
“These weapons have no place in the arsenal of any country,” the organisation said in a statement.
Call to reconsider the decision
Human rights activists called on the Biden administration to reconsider its decision in order to “protect civilians from the indiscriminate harm that the use of anti-personnel mines will inevitably cause”. Amnesty International recalled that international law has long enshrined a ban on such mines under the Ottawa Convention, which the United States has not yet acceded to.
Context of the decision
The US decision to supply anti-personnel mines caused a wide response among experts and human rights activists. Nevertheless, the US administration claims that the assistance to Ukraine is aimed at ensuring its defence capability in the context of a full-scale war with Russia.
