4 NATO nations abandon treaty banning land mines, citing Russian aggression

Published Mar 19 Updated Mar 19

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By Lauren Keenan (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Snorre Wik (Video Editor)

Multiple NATO nations announced on Tuesday that they intend to back out of the 1997 Ottawa Convention Treaty, which outlaws the use of anti-personnel land mines (APLs) as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on. The treaty aimed to rid the world of APLs, which target combatants in explosive blasts and have killed or maimed thousands of civilians long after conflicts end.
The treaty says the use of these weapons causes “unnecessary suffering.”
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said on Tuesday they are abandoning the treaty because “military threats to NATO members bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased.”

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Multiple NATO nations announced on Tuesday, March 18, that they will back out of the 1997 Ottawa Convention Treaty, which outlaws the use of anti-personnel land mines (APLs) as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on.

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Why was the treaty created?

The Ottawa Treaty aimed to rid the world of APLs, which target combatants in explosive blasts and have killed or maimed thousands of civilians even after conflicts end. The treaty states that the use of these weapons causes “unnecessary suffering.”

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Which countries are abandoning the treaty?

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said on Tuesday that they are abandoning the treaty because “military threats to NATO members bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased.”

The countries said, “In light of Russia’s aggression,” it’s “essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities.”

Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia have announced their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines. pic.twitter.com/cwrgTYZRTl
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) March 18, 2025

What’s their history with Russia?

The four nations have expressed concerns with Moscow’s aggression since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

As Straight Arrow News recently reported, fearing a threat from Russia, Poland has also called on the United States to supply it with nuclear weapons along its borders.

Three of the four countries were part of the Soviet Union, while Poland was a Warsaw Pact member. All four nations border Russia and Belarus, and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is a staunch ally of the Kremlin.

What happens next?

Poland, Lithuania and Estonia will need parliamentary approval to withdraw before their agreements can be rescinded from the Ottawa Convention.

Finland is also reportedly considering abandoning the treaty due to threats posed by Russia.

More than 160 countries signed the Ottawa Convention, while the United States, China, Russia, North Korea, Myanmar, India, Iran and Israel have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.

What is the bigger picture?

The abandonment of the accord by the four nations comes as President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin negotiated for hours over the phone to secure a ceasefire with Ukraine on Tuesday.

Tags: Baltic Sea, Belarus, Death, Donald Trump, Kremlin, Kyiv, Latvia, Moscow, Nuclear weapons, Poland, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, War, Weapons

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

MULTIPLE NATO NATIONS ANNOUNCED THEY WILL BACK OUT OF THE 1997 OTTAWA CONVENTION TREATY WHICH OUTLAWS THE USE OF ANTI-PERSONNEL LAND MINES AS RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE GRINDS ON.

THE OTTAWA CONVENTION AIMED TO RID THE WORLD OF A-P-’Ls THAT TARGET COMBATANTS IN EXPLOSIVE BLASTS AND HAVE KILLED OR MAIMED THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS EVEN AFTER CONFLICTS END.

THE TREATY SAYS THE USE OF THESE WEAPONS CAUSES “UNNECESSARY SUFFERING.”

POLAND, LITHUANIA, LATVIA AND ESTONIA SAID TUESDAY THEY ARE ABANDONING THE TREATY BECAUSE “MILITARY THREATS TO NATO MEMBERS BORDERING RUSSIA AND BELARUS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED,”

THE COUNTRIES SAY IN “LIGHT OF RUSSIA’S AGGRESSION” IT’S “ESSENTIAL TO EVALUATE ALL MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN OUR DETERRENCE AND DEFENSE CAPABILITIES.”

THE FOUR NATIONS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS WITH MOSCOW’S AGGRESSION SINCE RUSSIAN FORCES INVADED UKRAINE IN 2022.

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS RECENTLY REPORTED, FEARING A THREAT FROM RUSSIA, POLAND HAS ALSO CALLED ON THE U-S TO SUPPLY IT WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS ALONG ITS BORDERS.

THREE OF THE FOUR COUNTRIES WERE PART OF THE SOVIET UNION WHILE POLAND WAS PART OF A SOVIET-BLOC GOVERNMENT.

ALL FOUR NATIONS BORDER RUSSIA AND BELARUS, WHICH IS A STAUNCH ALLY OF THE KREMLIN.

POLAND, LITHUANIA AND ESTONIA WILL NEED PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL TO WITHDRAW BEFORE THEIR AGREEMENTS CAN BE RESCINDED FROM THE OTTAWA CONVENTION

FINLAND IS ALSO REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING ABANDONING THE TREATY DUE TO THREATS POSED BY RUSSIA.

MORE THAN 160 COUNTRIES SIGNED THE OTTAWA CONVENTION, WHILE THE U-S, CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA, MYANMAR, INDIA, IRAN AND ISRAEL HAVE NEITHER SIGNED NOR RATIFIED THE TREATY.

THE ABANDONMENT OF THE ACCORD BY THE FOUR NATIONS COMES AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN NEGOTIATED FOR HOURS OVER THE PHONE TO SECURE A CEASEFIRE TUESDAY.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.