Poland and the Baltic nations have announced their intention to exit a major international agreement that prohibits the use of anti-personnel landmines, citing increased threats from Russia. The defense ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement highlighting that since they became signatories to the Ottawa Treaty, the dangers posed by Moscow and Belarus have grown considerably.
The ministers emphasized the need to provide their military forces with the "flexibility and freedom of choice" necessary to protect NATO's eastern boundary. The Ottawa Treaty, established in 1997, seeks to eliminate anti-personnel mines globally and has been endorsed by over 160 countries. However, several key military nations, including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, and the United States, have not signed the treaty.
By 2005, all the Baltic countries had joined the convention, with Poland following in 2012. In their recent statement, the defense ministers noted a "significant deterioration" in regional security since their countries signed the treaty. They collectively recommended withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, signaling their readiness to employ all necessary measures to safeguard their territories and freedoms.
Despite their decision to leave the treaty, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to international humanitarian laws, particularly the protection of civilians during conflicts. They assured that their nations would continue to uphold these principles while addressing their security concerns.
All four countries are NATO members and share borders with Russia. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic states and Poland have significantly increased their military expenditures and provided substantial support to Ukraine. According to the Kiel Institute, these countries rank among the top contributors of aid to Ukraine relative to their GDP.
Ukraine, a signatory of the Ottawa Treaty, has received landmines from the United States during the ongoing conflict with Russia and has informed the UN that it cannot fully comply with the treaty due to the invasion. However, Article 20 of the treaty specifies that a country cannot withdraw if it is currently engaged in war. The UN estimates that Ukraine has become the most heavily mined country in the world.