Finland to Withdraw From Landmine Ban Treaty
A landmine. X/ @FinlandMentions
June 19, 2025 Hour: 9:28 am
Previously, this country announced its intention to exit the Ottawa Treaty, citing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On Thursday, Finland’s parliament voted 157-18 to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, citing national security concerns amid regional tensions.
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Under treaty rules, the withdrawal will take effect six months after Finland formally notifies the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General. The government has not yet announced when it will submit the notification.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen said the decision enhances Finland’s security posture and stressed that any use of anti-personnel mines would be “responsible” and limited to situations in which the country is under attack.
The parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, which supported the move, called landmines a defensive weapon, particularly relevant for deterring mass infantry assaults along Finland’s eastern border with Russia in the possbile event of conflict.
Finland joined the Ottawa Convention in 2012 and subsequently destroyed over one million stockpiled landmines. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government announced its intention to exit the treaty in April, citing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the need to strengthen border defenses.
While acknowledging Finland’s right to self-defense, critics argued that the decision was rushed and undermines international disarmament efforts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said recent withdrawals from the treaty were “particularly troubling,” warning they threaten decades of humanitarian progress.
The parliament also passed a separate resolution affirming Finland’s continued support for global mine action, including clearance operations in conflict zones. Lawmakers pledged that any use of landmines in wartime would be thoroughly documented to ensure future removal.
The Ottawa Convention was signed in 1997 and came into force in 1999. In March, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, as well as Poland, have also announced plans to exit the treaty.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: Xinhua
