Lithuania withdraws from the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Kyiv • UNN
The Lithuanian parliament voted to withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The government stated that this decision would strengthen the country's defense and make deterrence against Russia more effective.
The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday voted to withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production, stockpiling, use and transfer of these weapons. This was reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
The government of the Baltic country bordering Russia has said that remaining a member of the Convention on Cluster Munitions limits its defense and makes deterrence less effective.
The website of the Lithuanian parliament states that 103 out of 141 deputies voted in favor of the proposal.
"Conventions are important when all countries adhere to them," Defense Minister Laurinas Kasciunas said before the parliamentary vote.
"The problem is that Russia does not adhere to them in its aggression against Ukraine. It would be a mistake for a country that is preparing for defense to declare what means it will not use... With this vote, we are making Lithuania's defense stronger," he added.
Addendum
Cluster munitions, which are banned in more than 100 countries, typically release a large number of small bombs that can kill over a wide area. russia, Ukraine and the United States are not signatories to the convention.
Most members of the European Union have signed the Convention, but only Lithuania has signed it among the countries bordering Russia or Ukraine.
Recall
Last year, Ukraine received its first batch of cluster munitions from the United Statesdespite protests from human rights organizations.
