Which countries are quitting a key landmine treaty and why?

June 30, 2025 4:47 PM

Which countries are quitting a key landmine treaty and why?

Ukraine has joined other countries bordering Russia in signalling that it will withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, in the face of what they say are growing military threats from Russia. NATO members Finland, Poland and the three ex-Soviet Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - have either withdrawn from the convention or indicated that they would do so, citing the increased military danger from their neighbour. The moves threaten to reverse decades of...

Norway won’t exit landmine treaty, foreign minister says

April 2, 2025 3:15 PM

Norway won’t exit landmine treaty, foreign minister says

NATO member Norway will not withdraw from the global convention banning anti-personnel landmines as all the other European countries bordering Russia have done, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday. Finland on Tuesday said it planned to quit the 1997 Ottawa Convention as a way to mitigate the military threat posed by its neighbour Russia, following Poland and the Baltic countries, which announced similar moves last month. That left Norway as the only European country bordering Russ...