Press Releases

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the President Emeritus of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement:

“President Biden has shown great leadership in his response to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. He warned of Russian intentions prior to the invasion, he rallied allies after it, and he organized unprecedented support for Ukraine that turned the tide of the war. He successfully shepherded Finland and now Sweden into NATO’s ranks.

“His decision to provide cluster munitions, however, albeit one about which he agonized, is wrong. 120 nations have signed the Convention banning these weapons, including most of our allies. The US Congress placed near insurmountable conditions on their use or export. The reason: these bombs linger as unexploded ordinances for decades, maiming and killing children and other innocent civilians for generations after combat has ceased. They are not just another weapon in our arsenal.

“The US and our allies have provided unprecedented kinds and amounts of weapons and training to help Ukraine prevail. We can and must continue to do so – without resorting to cluster bombs.”