The four bordering Russia suggest pulling out of the Ottawa treaty but add that they do not intend to use landmines. Poland and the Baltic countries intend to pull out of an international agreement forbidding the use of landmines because of possible military threats from Russia on their borders.
Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian defence ministers in a Tuesday statement said that they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention”. The declaration maintained that the security environment in the area has “essentially worsened” since the treaty was ratified by over 160 countries in 1999, though Russia and the United States did not sign up.
“Military threats against NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have increased considerably,” the declaration said. Poland became a member of the Western military bloc the same year the treaty was ratified. The Baltic states were admitted into NATO in 2004.
With this move, we are clearly stating: Our nations are ready and can apply every measure of defense to protect our land and liberty,” the statement went on. The Baltic nations, which were once a part of the Soviet Union, have time and again cautioned that the perceived Russia-US rapprochement is a threat to their security, as well as Ukraine’s.
While going ahead with the decision to quit the Ottawa treaty, the defence ministers announced that they would abide by humanitarian law and the defence of civilians during conflicts. Hanno Pevkur, Defence Minister of Estonia, declared: “We now have no intentions of producing, stockpiling, or using once-prohibited antipersonnel landmines.”
Estonia and our regional partners are still committed to the protection of civilians and upholding international humanitarian law, notwithstanding our withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention,” he noted. International monitor Landmine Monitor, in a report published last year, reported that landmines were still being used actively in 2023 and 2024 by Russia, Myanmar, Iran and North Korea.
