Germany and UK refrains from sending cluster munitions to Ukraine, but why?

Days after the US decision of arming Ukraine with the controversial cluster munitions stirred the storm, Germany has rejected the prospect of sending deadly bombs to Ukraine. The German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the European nation will refrain from taking such measures, despite the American stance on it, Tass reported. Her remarks came at the  OSCE High-Level Conference on Climate Change which was held in Vienna on Friday. 

"I have followed the media reports. For us, as a state party, the Oslo agreement applies," Baerbock told the reporters when she was asked to comment on Washington’s plans regarding the cluster bombs. German Foreign Minister Boris Pistorius also shared a similar stance on the situation, Tass reported. "Germany has signed the convention, so it is no option for us. As for those countries that have not signed the convention - China, Russia, Ukraine and the US - it is not up to me to comment on their actions," the German Defence Minister said at a press conference on Thursday. 

UK PM Rishi Sunak joins the bandwagon

The controversial decision has garnered mixed responses from all over the world. Amid the flaring criticisms, UK PM Rishi Sunak said that the British administration also 'discourages' the use of cluster bombs. The premier noted that the United Kingdom is also a signatory to an international convention that bans the use of these bombs. “We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. But we’ve done that by providing heavy battle tanks and, most recently, long-range weapons,” Sunak said on Saturday, The Guardian reported. “Russia’s act of barbarism is causing untold suffering to millions of people,” he furthered. 

What is the Oslo Agreement? 

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) also known as the Oslo Agreement is an international treaty that prohibits the use, transfer, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) was adopted in Dublin on 30 May 2008 and opened for signature in Oslo on December 3 the same year. The international treaty has been signed by more than 100 nations, including the United Kingdom and Germany that prohibit the use of these weapons in a conflict scenario. The convention came into force on August 1, 2010, six months after the 30th instrument of ratification had been deposited. Today it is touted as one of the most effective instruments of International law.