Ireland has conveyed its concerns to Lithuania over its withdrawal from the international ban on cluster bombs, which was agreed in Dublin 17 years ago.
However, the Irish Government said it understands the reasons Lithuania has decided to leave the treaty, given the growing threat from Russia. It said the decision was “not taken lightly” by Vilnius and is a direct response to Russian aggression.
Ireland has also expressed concerns to the governments of Poland, Finland and the Baltic States over their planned withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty, another Irish-backed convention that bans the use of anti-personnel mines.
Countries bordering Russia are increasingly looking for ways to deter Russian aggression in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine and intelligence reports that Moscow is preparing for an eventual war with Nato members.
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These moves includes procuring controversial military technologies such as cluster bombs and landmines, which pose significant risks to civilians but are effective at countering mass infantry movements.
The move places Ireland in a difficult position. Dublin has long backed bans on weapons that do not discriminate between combatants and civilians. On the other hand, it does not want to be seen as undermining the right of eastern European countries to defend their borders against Russian aggression.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was agreed at a high-profile, weeklong conference in Dublin Castle in 2008, is considered one of Ireland’s big successes in international diplomacy.
Following the convention, 112 countries adopted the treaty and agreed to prohibit “all use, transfer, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions“.
Cluster munitions consist of many small bomblets that often fail to explode on impact and pose a lasting danger to civilians, particularly children, once a conflict ends.
Since the treaty, production of the weapons has dropped significantly. A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said Ireland remains strongly committed to the ban on cluster bombs, which she said “should not be used in any circumstances”.
Lithuania officially became the first state to leave the convention last month following a parliament decision six months ago.
“Lithuania knows Ireland’s stance in relation to cluster munitions well. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has communicated Ireland’s concerns to our Lithuanian partners both at senior official and ministerial levels,” the department said.
The spokeswoman said Lithuania did not take the decision lightly and that it is a “direct and defensive response to the serious security threats they face from an aggressive Russian regime”.
Lithuania, which does not currently possess cluster munitions, said it is in response to the broad use of the weapons by Russia in Ukraine.
Ukraine has also deployed cluster bombs, donated by the United States, against Russian targets.
The Russian threat also underpins the decision by other EU countries to leave the Ottawa landmine treaty.
The department said it has “engaged bilaterally” with these countries over their decision. It said it has expressed Ireland’s “recognition of the security context and our concern that the norm against the use of these weapons should not be weakened”.
Over the year Ireland has contributed substantial funding towards both treaties, including €65 million for demining efforts, the department spokeswoman said.
