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Comment by walrusfromspace | Hacker News Reader

While there are treaties intended to limit the usage of cluster bombs the Russian Federation is not a signatory on any of those. Neither is the United States for that matter.

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so dropping cluster bombs on civilian population centers is ok if you didn’t sign an agreement not to?

It's okay as long as you win the war.

The winner won't find themselves guilty of war crimes, but the loser will be.

Just a passing thought: the same incentives exist for extremist terrorist groups, if they win they achieve sovereign immunity absolving all past indiscretions, and maybe a cool new emoji in the next iOS update. when people have nothing to lose they have all to win.

That's only true if you win the war against those who would judge you. Ukraine isn't the judge.

Yep, same with landmines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_Treaty

That’s how the world works, unfortunately. NATO did the same thing in Yugoslavia back in 99. No one was held responsible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni%C5%A1_cluster_bombing

Legally, everything is ok for a sovereign nation to do unless there are signed agreements prohibiting it. That's how law works.

Based on what?

it's the common basis of international law. Sovereign nations aren't beholden to anyone else. It's what sovereignty means: they get to do whatever the fuck they want according to their own made-up rules, unless a treaty they have signed explicitly outlaws the thing in question.

There are a lot of treaties governing proper rules of warfare. Russia is entered into many of them. But Russia has not signed any of the treaties outlawing the use of cluster munitions.

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