The US has been criticized by aid groups for its decision to supply Ukraine with landmines, as the war in eastern Europe continues.
The authorization from Washington is seen as an attempt to reduce Russian troops, who have been advancing in eastern Ukraine in recent months.
In an interview with the BBC, Human Rights Watch director Mary Wareham said the decision marks a “shocking and devastating development” for those working to eliminate landmines.
His stance was also confirmed by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which criticized the American decision “with strong words”.
“These deadly and indiscriminate weapons were banned by the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty given the devastating impact they have on people's lives and livelihoods,” added a statement from ICBL director Tamar Gabelnick.
Under the agreement, “there are no circumstances in which Ukraine as a state party can acquire, retain or use”, he added.
The use of landmines is illegal under international law. But more than 160 nations signed the Mine Ban Treaty which commits to banning the production, use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines. Ukraine i who signed this agreement.
However, after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine informed other signatories that its application of the treaty to the occupied territories would be “limited and unverified”.
Ms Wareham of Human Rights Watch added: “A lot of progress has been made in the last 25 years under the framework provided by the international treaty to prevent landmines. So it is unlikely that the US would take this step.”
Unmanned landmines are explosives that are often hidden on the ground and are designed to detonate when people are on or near them.
Russia's military has been using landmines extensively in Ukraine – since launching its full-scale offensive in February 2022, Russia has deployed landmines to protect its positions and slow down the Ukrainians.
One of the main concerns of campaigners regarding landmines is the danger these weapons have on people, killing them indiscriminately as they are buried on the ground or scattered on the surface.
Another issue is the plan to dispose of the bombs once the conflict is over, and clearing the excavated land can take a long time. The process is also expensive, with the World Bank reporting last year that de-mining Ukraine would cost $37.4bn (£29.6bn).
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US wanted to be sure how the mines would be used.
Washington expects the mines – which officials say will be delivered soon – to be used on Ukrainian territory, but away from populated areas.
Mr. Austin said that these US devices will be safer if used than the ones that Ukraine was developing, as the US mines are called “persistent” which means that after some days they lose power and stop exploding.
''We talked to them about, you know, how they can use these weapons, and make sure they do things responsibly, record where they put their mines, and make sure they take advantage of the detonation of these weapons,'' Mr. Austin said.
Reacting to Wednesday's news from Washington, the Halo Trust, the world's largest demining charity, said: “The potential for further contagion of landmines in eastern Europe is a clear and present risk”.
According to its statement, the Halo Trust said Ukraine was again in the headlines this month as being “heavily contaminated” by landmines, with some charity estimates suggesting they are present in around 40% of the country.
The Halo Trust continues to report, according to its estimates, that more than two million landmines have been placed in Ukraine since the full-scale war began in 2022.
The provision of landmines is the latest step by the outgoing US administration to intensify the war in Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20.
It's a major shift in policy for Joe Biden himself, who once called Trump “reckless” for lifting America's long-standing restrictions on mining during his last term in the White House.
Earlier, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba defended the US position, saying it was under international law, but added that “there are ethical principles for human rights defenders, and I fully accept them”.
“But we are fighting a war with a brutal enemy and we must have the right to use everything we need within international law to defend ourselves,” he said.
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