Finland withdraws from Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention amid threat from Russia
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Finland's parliament has backed the country's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines, Bloomberg reports.
During the voting, 157 lawmakers supported the withdrawal, while 18 voted against it.
As Bloomberg explains, Finland decided to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention back in April due to the risks associated with the more aggressive policy of Russia.
The final withdrawal from the convention still requires confirmation from President Alexander Stubb, as well as the transfer of relevant documents to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Ottawa Convention
The Ottawa Convention is an international treaty prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It was adopted in 1997 in Ottawa, Canada. The Convention also obliges parties to destroy their stockpiles of mines and to demine their territories.
Many European countries - including Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland - have announced their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the growing threat from Russia.
In early May 2025, the Lithuanian parliament supported the withdrawal from the anti-personnel mine treaty.
