Finland notifies UN of withdrawal from Ottawa landmine ban
Illustrative photo: Finland notified the UN of its withdrawal from the AP Mine Ban Convention (Getty Images)
Finland has notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of anti-personnel landmines, Reuters informs.
The withdrawal will take effect six months after the notification, in January 2026.
According to Reuters, Lithuania and Finland plan to start domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year for their own needs.
The Ottawa Convention
The Ottawa Convention was signed in 1997. Its goal is the complete elimination of anti-personnel landmines through an international ban on their use, aiming to reduce civilian casualties. Countries that have signed the treaty committed not to use, produce, or transfer these landmines.
So far, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, and Poland have approved withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, citing the increased military threat from Russia.
In mid-June, the Finnish Parliament supported the withdrawal from the convention.
