Lithuania is no longer a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The Baltic states fear war

Lithuania has formally withdrawn from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that bans the manufacture, possession and purchase of projectiles that release explosives over a wide area.

This type of munition is used in warfare to destroy troops in trenches as it detonates above the target and releases small explosive fragments into the atmosphere. Some of the fragments eventually remain unexploded, which is why they pose a long-term threat to civilians, and is the main reason why they are banned.

The Vilnius authorities claim that the decision is justified in the context of the war in Ukraine, as the aggressors use such weapons and do not take the rules into account.

“The conventions are important when all countries abide by them. The problem is that Russia does not abide by this set of rules, and we saw this in the Ukrainian war. It would be a mistake for a country that is ready to defend itself not to be able to use them,” the Lithuanian official reasoned.

Both Russia and Ukraine used different types of cluster bombs during the war. They reported that Russia often used them to attack civilian targets Reuters.