Opinion

Ukrainians are begging for cluster munitions to stop the Russians

Ukrainians have been fighting heroically — but they’re still outnumbered and outgunned. Russia has mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops and still enjoys substantial superiority in materiel. Ukrainians know perfectly well that time is not on their side. A fresh Russian offensive could come at any moment.

The United States and its European partners have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons but are still denying Kyiv’s requests for planes and long-range missiles. Even if President Biden signed off on the planes today, it would take several months to get them into the fight. Western tanks are on the way, but only a few dozen will reach the battlefield in time. Ukrainian forces are expending munitions faster than Western countries can produce replacements.