White House Rejects Pentagon’s Push for Phosphorus Munitions for Ukraine

The Pentagon has recommended that the US administration supply Ukraine with white phosphorus ammunition, according to NBC News, citing three government officials.

It is said the White House has rejected the proposal multiple times over concerns of the controversial nature of the misuse white phosphorus and the potential to cause civilian casualties.

White phosphorus munitions are used primarily for creating smoke screens, to help conceal troop movements and mask positions from enemy forces. When exposed to air, the chemical burns fiercely and produces a thick white smoke. It can also be used to illuminate areas during nighttime operations.

Once ignited white phosphorus is extremely difficult to extinguish and can cause severe burns if it comes into contact with skin and other flammable materiel.

Sources indicate that if the proposal were to be approved in the future, the ammunition could be sent to Ukraine without the need for a public declaration.

Western militaries employ the munitions solely for tactical screening purposes, but their use remains controversial as it is not unknown for some armies to use it as an anti-personnel weapon and for the potential for harm to civilians.

Neither the Pentagon nor the National Security Council have responded to requests for comment.

In March 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of using phosphorus munitions against civilians, although he did not provide evidence to support this claim.

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The Pentagon has also not confirmed any use of such ammunition by Russian forces. In May 2022, the mayor of Mariupol claimed that Russian forces had used phosphorus munitions against Ukrainian defenders at the Azovstal plant.

Conversely, Russia accused Ukraine of using white phosphorus munitions near Hostomel airport in late February 2022.

The use of white phosphorus against military targets in civilian areas is prohibited under the Additional Protocol to the Geneva Convention of 1949 and the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons of 1980.

However, using white phosphorus to create smoke screens is not currently prohibited. The United States has not ratified the Protocol to the Geneva Convention, while the USSR signed it on behalf of its constituent Republics including Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv ratified the protocols in 1990, Moscow has not.