WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States has joined international humanitarian groups condemning the US decision to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines.

The decision was announced by the Biden administration this week in a reversal of an earlier pledge limiting the use of anti-personnel mines except on the Korean Peninsula.

For immediate release
Friday, November 22, 2024

Contacts:
Gloria Mattera, Green Party Media Committee Coordinator, 202-804-2758, [email protected]
Scott McLarty, Green Party Media Director, 202-878-2112, [email protected]

Greens also warned that US support for Ukraine's firing of long-range US missiles into Russia escalates the risk of a global conflict.

The Green Party supports the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning the production, stockpiling, use and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The US has not signed the agreement.

"This reversal shows the continuing alignment of Democrats with Republicans on weapons proliferation. This decision will impact Ukrainian civilians for many years to come through indiscriminate death and maiming and the loss of land for the production of food and other industries," said Alfred Molison, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

Civilians were 84% of recorded landmine casualties worldwide in 2023. The World Bank estimates that demining Ukraine of already-existing US antitank and Claymore mines and anti-personnel mines set by Russia will cost more than $37 billion.

The US has been one of the world's biggest producers and exporters of anti-personnel landmines and continues to stockpile millions of them.

"Biden's approval for the mines along with allowing Ukraine to use long-range US missiles on targets in Russia represents a dangerous escalation of hostilities, as Russia has lowered its threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in retaliation. The Green Party calls for an immediate ceasefire, negotiations for peace, and an end to weapons shipments to Ukraine,” said Madelyn Hoffman, co-chair of the Green Party's Peace Action Committee (GPAX).

"Let’s be clear here," said Cassandra Lems, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "The United States should not be supplying landmines to anyone. All landmines do is kill innocent civilians, sometimes for decades to come."

See also:

Election Night GreenStream, the Green Party's livestream show, featuring Green candidates for state and local office across the US, streamed on November 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaSs9w8ymD0

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-804-2758