Finland has announced plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty as countries in Europe shore up against potential threats from Russia.
The Ottawa Treaty is the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which countries endorsed in 1997 to eliminate anti-personnel landmines around the world.
In recent weeks, countries have been making a U-turn on the treaty in order to protect their territory, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
On Tuesday, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said a changed security environment in Europe precipitated his country’s resolution to exit the Ottawa Treaty.
Orpo stated that Finland and Europe must “evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities, individually and in NATO.”
“We also propose that Finland starts to prepare for withdrawal from the Ottawa agreement,” the prime minister said at a news conference.
Finland’s announcement comes weeks after four other nations in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – took a similar decision.
In response, Latvia’s Defence Minister Andris Sprūds described Finland as an important regional partner in NATO which shares a very long border with Russia.
“Finland’s decision to prepare for withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention aligns Finland with other regional partners in NATO, including Latvia, that have made similar decisions recently,” he wrote on X.
Last week, the transnational military alliance warned Russia against further attacks in Europe, vowing that NATO’s retaliation would be “devastating.”
“If anyone thinks they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they will be met with
the full force of this fierce alliance,” said Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Finland to exit Ottawa Treaty as Europe reinforces against Russia
