Biden Authorizes Ukraine’s Military Use of Anti-Personnel Landmines, Putin Lowers Threshold for Nuclear War

Table of Contents

• 0.1 The Ukrainian army will use the US long-range missile for the first time
• 0.2 Russia’s unilateral mine war
• 0.3 Mine Ban Convention and US Policy
• 0.4 Putin is lowering the threshold for nuclear war
• 0.5 The US embassy in Kyiv closed
• 0.6 Criticism from human rights groups
• 1 **Given the United States’ status as a signatory of⁣ the Ottawa Convention, what precedent does providing ​Ukraine with landmines‍ set for future international arms control agreements and the enforcement of treaties in times of crisis?**

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) According to several media reports, US President Biden has approved a request to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines.

The use of anti-personnel mines could help Ukraine contain Russian military advances in its eastern regions. However, this has been strongly criticized by arms control advocacy groups.

It is part of a series of emergency actions taken by the outgoing Biden administration to help Ukraine deal with an increasingly difficult war situation.

The Ukrainian army will use the US long-range missile for the first time

Previously, the White House had authorized Ukraine’s use of powerful long-range missile systems provided by the United States to carry out strikes in Russia. It is reported that thousands of North Korean troops reinforced Russia, forcing Biden to change his position that he had held for several months.

Ukraine said on Tuesday (November 19) that its forces used long-range ballistic missiles supplied by the United States for the first time to hit a military base in Russia’s Bryansk region in an attack earlier in the day.

The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement saying “The Armed Forces of Ukraine struck a facility in Bryansk Oblast last night,” using six US-made missiles from the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

Russia’s unilateral mine war

Currently, Russian tactics include sending small groups of soldiers on foot or on motorcycles to circle behind Ukrainian positions. These soldiers often do not return. However, in besieged towns like Chasiv Yar and Kurakhove, the Russian army often sent such death squads, which made the Ukrainian army feel even more pressure.

Ukraine said it needs the mines to deal with the situation. In these rural areas, where civilians have migrated and where there are only large areas of farmland, the use of “unsustainable” landmines poses little risk to civilians.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian military has deployed a large number of landmines in battles. It is estimated that more than 20% of the land of​​​​​​Ukraine is contaminated with landmines. The Biden administration has not authorized the use of landmines in Ukraine due to international opposition.

Unlike the Russian mines, the US-supplied detonator reportedly goes off automatically after a pre-set time – which ranges from four hours to two weeks. These mines use electronic fuses that require battery power to explode. Once the battery is depleted, the mine will no longer explode.

The United States has previously supplied Ukraine with anti-tank mines. Anti-personnel mines can be quickly placed to stop the advance of ground forces.

Mine Ban Convention and US Policy

Anti-personnel landmines, also known as anti-personnel landmines, are landmines designed to detonate on the presence, proximity or contact of people, and thereby enabling, injuring or killing more than one person. The international community adopted the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (also known as the Ottawa Convention) in 1997 to prevent the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons and use on action to prevent and address long-term effects against workers. mines.

164 countries around the world have signed this convention, including Ukraine and all EU member states. However, countries that have not signed the treaty include Russia, China, the United States and Israel.

Biden in 2022 restored an Obama-era policy that prohibited the US from deploying and using anti-personnel landmines outside the Korean peninsula.

The Trump administration reversed that policy in 2020, arguing that landmines must be used strategically against adversaries such as Russia and China.

Trump, who is about to take office again, has always expressed doubts about the continued support of the United States to Ukraine. He even said that he would end the war before taking office. But he has not yet announced plans for how to end the war.

Putin is lowering the threshold for nuclear war

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington of trying to escalate the conflict. The Kremlin vowed to retaliate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, saying any country that launched a conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be considered a collective attack and could respond with a nuclear response. to encourage

In response to a reporter’s question, Russian government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the review was “timely conducted” and Putin hopes to update it “to adapt to the current situation.”

In response, a spokesman for the National Security Council of the White House said that the United States was not surprised that Russia announced the renewal of its nuclear doctrine at the moment, the United States does not see the need to change their nuclear position.

The US embassy in Kyiv closed

Meanwhile, the US State Department said it would close its embassy in Kiev after receiving “specific information that a major air strike may occur on November 20.” A statement on the US Embassy website read, “After careful consideration, the embassy has decided to close. The embassy has instructed staff to shelter in place and is advising citizens of the SA to take shelter immediately if an air raid warning is issued.”

Previously, the US Embassy issued similar air raid warnings on New Year’s Eve and Ukraine’s Independence Day in August.

Criticism from human rights groups

Ukraine has reportedly pledged not to use anti-personnel mines in densely populated areas.

Arms control advocates point out that even unexploded mines pose a security threat.

“This is a shocking and devastating decision,” said Mary Wareham of Human Rights Watch. She noted that even “unexploited landmines” pose a threat to civilians, require complex clearance operations and cannot always be reliably defused.

The Biden administration has pledged to support mine clearance efforts in Ukraine after the conflict ends.

The conflict in Ukraine has forced other countries to reassess their opposition to anti-personnel landmines. Earlier this year, the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia considered withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention to strengthen their defenses against Russian aggression. However, they ultimately decided to strengthen their stockpiles of weapons that were less harmful to civilians, such as anti-tank mines.

(full report)

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