Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland announced on March 18 their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty banning the use, production, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said, APA reports citing Kyiv Independent.
The defense ministers of the four nations argued that the security situation in the region has “fundamentally deteriorated” and that military threats to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have “significantly increased.”
“Given the volatile security environment, all measures to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities must be assessed,” the ministers said, emphasizing their willingness to take all necessary steps to defend their territories.
The statement added that despite their withdrawal, the countries would remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during armed conflicts.
The decision still requires approval by the countries’ parliaments.
The step follows Lithuania’s withdrawal from the convention banning cluster munitions, a weapon widely used in the Russia-Ukraine war.