Biden says Ukraine can use anti-personnel mines to slow Russian advances
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The warning sign "Stop! Mines" is seen in Kharkiv region, eastern Ukraine. Photo: Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images
President Biden has authorized the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time, a defense official confirmed to Axios Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's the second major U.S. policy shift in a matter of days aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defenses against Russian forces, and comes on the heels of the Kremlin ramping up its nuclear threats.
- The U.S. also authorized Ukraine on Sunday to use U.S.-provided long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia.
- The policy shift comes as the Biden administration seeks to bolster its support for Ukraine before President-elect Trump takes office and likely reduces U.S. support for Kyiv's defense.
Driving the news: Russia has long used anti-personnel land mines in its war in Ukraine, which Ukraine has warned pose a threat to Ukrainian civilians.
- Ukraine has agreed to not deploy the U.S.-provided mines in areas populated by civilians, the defense official told Axios.
- Until now, the U.S. had only provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines, per Reuters.
Flashback: More than two years ago, the Biden administration pledged to limit the use of anti-personnel mines around the world due to their "disproportionate impact on civilians."
- The White House did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on Wednesday.
Between the lines: The Biden administration's decision could prove controversial. Advocacy groups have long warned about the weapons' danger to civilians.
- 164 parties around the world have signed the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which requires states parties to stop the production, use and transfer of anti-personnel land mines.
- Neither the U.S. nor Russia signed the treaty.
- The mines the U.S. is now providing Ukraine are "non-persistent," according to the defense official, meaning they become inert after a certain period of time rather than remaining potentially detonable for years.
The big picture: The war, which passed the 1,000-day mark this week, has seen several shifts in recent weeks with North Korean troops arriving to aid Russian forces and the U.S. granting Kyiv permission to use new weaponry.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new nuclear doctrine Tuesday lowering the threshold of use for nuclear weapons, days after the U.S. authorized Ukraine's use of the long-range missiles.
- The shift indicated that Russia could use nuclear weapons to respond to Ukrainian attacks using conventional weapons that are backed by the U.S.
Zoom in: Citing security risks, The U.S. and other Western embassies in Kyiv closed Wednesday, AP reported.
- The U.S. Embassy Kyiv said in a statement Wednesday that it had "received specific information of a potential significant air attack" and that it was closed "out of an abundance of caution."
Go deeper: Mapped: Russia's war in Ukraine hits 1,000-day mark
