Faced with the Russian military threat in Europe, the three Baltic countries, Poland and Finland have decided to withdraw from the international treaty banning anti-personnel mines. SWI swissinfo.ch explains why now. For the first time in the history of the landmark Ottawa Convention, nations are walking away. Faced with the Russian military threat in Europe, five countries—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland—have taken the extraordinary step of announcing their withdrawal from the international treaty that bans anti-personnel landmines. In a joint statement published on March 18, 2025, the defence ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention. Finland announced its decision to do the same on April 1. While the number of victims of these weapons has fallen sharply, their decision could jeopardise decades of progress. So why are these countries making this decision now? Here's what you need to know – ...
