Ukraine moves to exit landmine treaty amid Russian threat
Ukraine seeks to use anti-personnel mines for defense purposes (Getty Images)
On July 11, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine submitted a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada — Ukraine's parliament — to officially suspend the country's participation in the Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines (the Ottawa Convention). The move follows a presidential decree signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the end of June, according to a statement by Taras Melnychuk, the government's representative in parliament.
According to the statement, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, as the initiator of the legislation, has registered in the Verkhovna Rada a draft law titled "On the Suspension for Ukraine of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction" (Bill No. 0329).
Melnychuk wrote that, in accordance with Article 62 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the draft law proposes to suspend Ukraine's obligations under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.
The reason cited for suspending the convention is Ukraine's need to defend itself against Russian aggression. Ukraine's participation in the treaty creates unequal conditions, as the aggressor state, Russia, is not a signatory to the convention.
What is the Ottawa Convention
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was adopted on September 18, 1997, in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Ukraine joined the convention in 1999 and ratified it in 2005.
However, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and the United States did not join the treaty. Given the ongoing war with Russia, Ukraine argues that the convention puts it at a defensive disadvantage against an aggressor that is not bound by its restrictions.
Ukraine withdraws from Ottawa Convention
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on June 29 formally withdrawing Ukraine from the Ottawa Convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines. The president instructed the National Security and Defense Council to take immediate action. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine later provided a detailed explanation for the country's decision to abandon the treaty's restrictions on landmines.
Ukraine is not the first country to suspend or withdraw from the Ottawa Convention due to threats from Russia. Similar decisions have already been made by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland. Finland is set to officially exit the treaty in January 2026.
