The military forces of Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have called on their governments to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, an international agreement that prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines. The governments of the four NATO member states bordering Russia stated that a growing military threat from Russia makes this necessary.
In a joint statement, the defense ministries of the four countries emphasized the need for “flexibility and freedom of choice to potentially use new weapon systems and solutions.”
The Ottawa Treaty, signed in 1997, aimed to ban landmines due to the long-term risk they pose to the civilian population. Prior to the treaty, the widespread use of anti-personnel mines, including by the US in Cambodia and Laos, had claimed countless civilian lives even decades after the end of the war. The treaty was the result of a long international campaign to ban these weapons. However, several major powers are not signatories, including China, Russia and the United States.
The joint statement reads that the four countries will “remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians in armed conflicts” despite their withdrawal.
Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia claim to be facing the threat of a Russian attack. In May last year, Warsaw launched the “Eastern Shield” project, aiming to strengthen its borders for 24 billion euros, with leading Polish officials hinting that anti-personnel mines could play a significant role. If such plans are currently being implemented, the first victims of a mined Polish border would likely be migrants.
Last year, Finnish Defense Minister Janne Jaakkola also suggested withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty and stated that anti-personnel mines would be effective against Russian ground troops. Finland, which also borders Russia, joined NATO in 2023 and assured it needed the protection of the US military alliance.
Ukraine, a technical signatory to the convention, has effectively ceased its participation since 2014. The Biden administration had approved the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, with officials stating the weapons would help Kyiv halt the Russian advance.
Russia has repeatedly denied any aggressive intentions towards NATO and emphasizes that the Ukraine conflict was triggered by the expansion of the alliance to its borders.