**US Sends Antipersonnel Mines to Ukraine**
President Biden has made a change in policy. He now allows the US to send antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine. This is different from what he said earlier.
The US had not sent these kinds of mines before because they were worried about hurting civilians. But now, President Biden thinks it’s okay. This decision comes after the US lifted its restrictions on using long-range weapons against Russia.
**Concerns About Civilians**
About 160 countries have agreed that antipersonnel land mines are bad and should not be used. The US and Russia are not part of this agreement. Ukraine is, but they wanted these mines anyway.
The US has a big stockpile of antipersonnel land mines. They haven’t been used since 1991 except for one time in Afghanistan. Now, President Biden thinks it’s okay to use them again.
**Why the Change**
President Biden was against using antipersonnel land mines when he was running for president. He said it would put civilians at risk of being hurt by unexploded mines. But now, his administration says these particular mines are not so bad because they will self-destruct or lose power in a short time.
The US is sending these mines to Ukraine because Russian forces are gaining territory quickly in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say they promise not to use the mines in populated areas.