Baltics and Poland announce planned withdrawal from landmine treaty

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland agreed to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty banning anti-personnel mines, in response to growing concerns over Russia's growing military threat to its bordering NATO member states.

It comes shortly after defence ministers of the Baltic states and Poland unanimously recommended withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the defence ministers said they "believe that in the current security environment it is paramount to provide our defence forces flexibility and freedom of choice to potentially use new weapons systems and solutions to bolster the defence of the alliance’s vulnerable eastern flank."

Latvia's Prime Minister Evika Silina said a draft would be submitted to the parliament, who have to make the final decision, by next week.

"This decision will give our National Armed Forces additional capabilities, when they can buy and what," Silina said.

The Prime Minister added that "Latvia has also considered the possibility that we could produce, as this also correlates with our military industrial strategy adopted today."

Latvia's Minister of Defence, Andris Spruds, said the move would be a crucial step towards building the "Baltic defence line together."

"We must be given the opportunity to strengthen our security defence capabilities by withdrawing from this Convention," he added.

Also Lithaunia emphasised its willingness to step up its production of the explosives.

"Talks and discussions have been going on since the very beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine—about having the means, especially for the production of explosives, at home," Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaiksnoras said.

Lithuania's defence minister Dovile Sakaliene said the joint decision sent a strong signal to others indicating that the states "are serious about deterrence and border defence."

The decision could result in a ripple effect, with more countries following suit. "We will not be the first or the last country to leave the Convention," Latvia's Prime Minister said.

Finland could be the next to withdraw from the treaty, having previously said they were also considering leaving the treaty due to Russia's use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine.

More than 160 countries and territories are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, including Ukraine, but excluding Russia and the US.

The 1997 treaty prohibits the production, possession, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, which are designed to be hidden under the ground and have killed or maimed thousands of civilians globally, often long after a conflict has come to an end.