Finland withdraws from Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines

(MENAFN) Finland has formally withdrawn from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty prohibiting anti-personnel landmines, amid ongoing tensions with Russia related to the Ukraine conflict. The government had announced its intent to leave the treaty last July, starting the required six-month countdown for official withdrawal.

Finnish leaders cited security concerns as the primary reason for the decision. President Alexander Stubb described Russia as “an aggressive, imperialist state,” while Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen emphasized that “protection against the Russian threat takes priority.” Moscow, however, has repeatedly dismissed fears of attacks on NATO members or EU countries as “nonsense.”

Finland’s departure from the treaty drew warnings from the UN Secretary-General, who called the development “troubling” and urged nations to honor humanitarian disarmament obligations. He also highlighted the long-term risks that anti-personnel mines pose to civilians, even after conflicts end.

The Ottawa Convention, in effect since 1997, bans the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines due to their indiscriminate danger. Since joining the treaty in 2012, Finland destroyed over a million mines but kept a limited number for training purposes.

Relations between Finland and Moscow deteriorated following Russia’s 2022 escalation in Ukraine. Finland shares a 1,340 km border with Russia and has supported Ukraine, later joining NATO in April 2023, ending decades of neutrality.

The Kremlin has stated that it previously had “no problems at all” with Finland and Sweden, which also joined NATO, and emphasized that businesses in both countries benefited from cooperation with Russia. Moscow maintains that it has never been the first to sour international relations and remains open to mutually beneficial ties.

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