Finland to Withdraw from Landmine Ban Treaty Citing Rising Security Threats

In a major policy reversal reflecting deepening regional security fears, Finland has formally notified the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines.

The withdrawal will take effect in January 2026, six months after Thursday’s official notification, according to the Finnish Foreign Ministry.

The move places Finland in alignment with its NATO and EU neighbours — including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland — who have similarly reconsidered their treaty commitments in light of heightened tensions with Russia.

Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Finland and Lithuania plan to resume domestic production of anti-personnel mines as soon as next year, citing a need to bolster defence readiness and territorial resilience amid an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical climate.

“This is a difficult but necessary decision,” said a senior Finnish defence official, speaking anonymously. “We must prioritise national security in today’s environment.”

The Ottawa Convention, adopted in 1997 and ratified by over 160 countries, prohibits the use, development, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Finland joined the treaty relatively late, in 2012, and had completed its compliance commitments by 2020 — including the destruction of its existing landmine stockpiles.

The reversal, however, underscores a growing trend among Baltic and Nordic nations to rearm and adapt military doctrines in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and its increasingly assertive posture in the region.

While the decision is expected to face sharp criticism from humanitarian groups and disarmament advocates, Finnish and Baltic leaders have insisted the move is purely defensive and reflects the evolving nature of threats in Eastern Europe.

“We remain committed to the principles of international law and the protection of civilians,” a joint statement from Baltic defence ministries read, “but deterrence requires credible capabilities.”

Analysts say the treaty withdrawals could mark a turning point for European security policy, potentially weakening the global norm against landmine use that the Ottawa Convention helped establish over the past two decades.