Poland and the Baltic republics have announced plans to withdraw from a major international treaty outlawing anti-personnel landmines, citing Russia’s growing threat.
In a joint statement, the military ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said since signing the Ottawa Treaty, threats from Moscow and its partner Belarus have “significantly increased”.
They said it is “paramount” to give their forces “flexibility and freedom of choice” when defending NATO’s eastern flank.
The Ottawa Treaty, often known as the Mine Ban Treaty, entered into force in 1997.
It aims to prohibit anti-personnel mines worldwide and has been signed by over 160 countries.
But some major military powers – including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, and the US – never signed up to the treaty.
By 2005, all of the Baltic states had signed the convention, with Poland joining in 2012.
However, in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the nations’ defence ministers stated that the security situation in their region had “significantly deteriorated” since the treaty was signed.
However, despite plans to abandon the pact, Poland and the Baltic states remain committed to international humanitarian rules, “including the protection of civilians during armed conflict.”
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Baltic nations and Poland have dramatically increased military spending and provided significant assistance to Ukraine.
According to the Kiel Institute research tank, the Baltic States and Poland are among the top assistance providers to Ukraine in terms of GDP percentage.
However, Article 20 of the convention specifies that a nation cannot withdraw from the pact if it is at war.
The United Nations says that Ukraine is now the world’s most mined country.
