“Welch added that, in her opinion, the use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine has the right to exist, given the likely consequences of the Russian occupation”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“I just had a conversation with the representatives of Amnesty USA, who made a statement about anti-personnel mines. Their position is quite simple: the Biden administration is constantly lowering the threshold in the field of application of international humanitarian law. This is not about Ukraine, but about US commitments. At the same time, no claims are made against Ukraine regarding the use of anti-personnel mines for defense,” she said on Facebook.
Welch added that, in her opinion, the use, in particular, of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine has a right to exist, given the likely consequences of the Russian occupation.
“Besides working at Amnesty, I also have the identity of a citizen, a mother and a person with common sense. Anti-personnel mines are very dangerous and will remain dangerous for many years after the war – for civilians, especially for children. But, choosing between the terrible long-term consequences of anti-personnel mines and the immediate consequences of the occupation, I am sure that everything that makes it possible to protect Ukrainian civilians from aggression, torture and physical destruction right now has the right to exist. And we thank you for this help too,” the post reads.
The day before, the international human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the decision of the US President Joe Biden’s administration to provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines.
Amnesty International USA is calling on the Biden administration to reconsider this decision “to protect civilians from the indiscriminate harm that the use of these landmines will inevitably cause.”
On November 20, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the decision to send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time was motivated by a change in Russia’s tactics on the front, as Russian troops advance with the help of infantry, which is able to pave the way for mechanized troops.
Austin emphasized that these antipersonnel mines “are not permanent. We can control when they self-activate, self-detonate, and this makes them much safer than those that they (Ukraine – ed.) create on their own.”
Earlier, The Washington Post, with reference to its sources, reported that US President Joe Biden authorized the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine. The use of mines will be limited to the territory of Ukraine, with an expected emphasis on its eastern part, one of the officials said.
The Biden administration is deeply concerned about Russia’s offensive actions on the front lines in Ukraine in recent weeks and sees an urgent need to stop them, officials said. The Pentagon believes providing the mines is one of the most helpful steps the Biden administration can take to slow Russia’s attack, officials said.
The Russian army uses anti-personnel mines during the war against Ukraine. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022, Ukraine became one of the most mined countries in the world.