Cluster munitions in Ukraine may unleash ‘dogs of war,’ ex-minister warns

Former Canadian foreign minister Lloyd Axworthy says cluster bombs will 'be a legacy that Ukraine will have for years and years, where its own people will be under risk.'

The American decision this week to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine is one that former Canadian foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy finds deeply disappointing – and “a little bit insulting.”

“There’s an old saying that once you unleash the dogs of war, you’re never sure where they’re going to run to. Well, I think we’ve unleashed this whole issue … using these terrible weapons,” said Axworthy, who currently serves as World Refugee and Migration Council chair.

Cluster munitions open in the air and release many smaller explosives. Most of the bombs explode when they hit the ground, but some don’t and become lodged in the ground where they can remain active for years, essentially creating minefields that can result in civilian deaths or severe injuries.

“That is going to be a legacy that Ukraine will have for years and years, where its own people will be under risk,” Axworthy said.

Canada has a long history of opposing these types of munitions, and both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly faced questions about the U.S. move this week.

By the time the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, wrapped up, it was clear Canada remained steadfast in two areas: continued financial and military support for Ukraine; staunch opposition to the use of cluster munitions.

These two stances now appear at loggerheads.

“We believe in our international obligations when it comes to cluster munitions and landmines, and we abide by them. So of course we do not agree with the American position and we mentioned it to the American officials,” Joly told reporters in Vilnius on Tuesday.