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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Poland and the three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, have announced plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which aims at eliminating the use of anti-personnel landmines (APLs). The quartet say that the growing threat of Russia means such mines are needed to defend themselves.
“Since the ratification of the convention, the security situation in our region has fundamentally deteriorated,” wrote the four countries’ defence ministers in a joint statement. “Military threats to NATO Member States bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased.”
“In light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia’s aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community, it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities,” they added.
Oświadczenie Ministrów Obrony Estonii🇪🇪, Łotwy🇱🇻, Litwy🇱🇹 i Polski 🇵🇱o wypowiedzeniu Konwencji Ottawskiejhttps://t.co/cnM8zI05tD
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) March 18, 2025
The use of landmines is controversial because they are indiscriminate weapons and can remain in place long after a conflict has finished, meaning they often end up harming civilians.
Poland was one of the original signatories of the Ottawa Treaty in 1997, which aimed to eliminate the use of APLs. Currently, over 160 countries have agreed to the terms of the treaty; among those who have not are Russia, China and the United States.
However, as early as May last year, Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, revealed that the government might consider renouncing the convention.
He did so while unveiling plans for the “Eastern Shield”, a major fortification of Poland’s borders with Belarus and Russia that would potentially include the arming of minefields. The plans are being coordinated with the three Baltic states.
Poland has unveiled details of a €2.4bn plan to fortify its eastern border in preparation for – but also in hope of deterring – a potential attack
The plan includes minefields and anti-tank obstacles as well as satellite monitoring and anti-drone systems https://t.co/FUXTRwYpTc
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) May 27, 2024
During a major security speech to parliament last month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk again said that the government was considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention. He also announced the possible withdrawal from a treaty against the use of cluster munitions, though in fact Poland has never signed it.
In today’s joint statement, the four defence ministers said that they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention”. This, they added, would “send a clear message: our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom”.
However, the quartet insisted that, “despite our withdrawal, we will remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during an armed conflict”.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has rapidly and significantly bolstered its defence expenditure, which last year reached 4.12%, the highest relative level in NATO. Estonia had the second-highest figure (3.43%), with Latvia fourth (3.15%) and Lithuania sixth (2.85%).
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: United Nations/Flickr (under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
