Finland to Withdraw From Anti-Landmine Treaty, Citing Russian Threat

Finland announced today it will withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, a move prompted by escalating tensions with Russia and a perceived erosion of trust.

The decision, formally notified to the United Nations, comes after a complete closure of the Finnish-Russian border in November 2023 due to what Finland described as Russia’s hybrid tactics involving the deliberate pushing of asylum seekers across the border. Finland initially applied to join NATO in May 2022, a direct consequence of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While Finland currently has no plans to deploy landmines, the withdrawal allows for the manufacturing of these weapons as a reserve capability.

The Ottawa Convention, effective since the late 1990s, significantly reduced global landmine casualties, falling from approximately 25,000 annually in the mid-1990s to under 1,000 by 2012, though recent conflicts in Ukraine and Myanmar have seen a resurgence in their use. Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized its continued commitment to international humanitarian law and will maintain its landmine clearing assistance programs in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Somalia, as well as offering support to Ukraine in demining occupied territories. The indiscriminate nature of these weapons – triggering on touch and unable to distinguish between combatants and civilians – raises significant humanitarian concerns.

Finland’s president has stated landmines will not be deployed during “times of peace,” but the evolving nature of conflict, including Russia’s “grey zone tactics” and airspace violations, has blurred the definition of peace. Officials acknowledge that the mere stockpiling of landmines may not be a sufficient deterrent, but represents a necessary step to address the perceived permanent threat posed by Russia.

The six-month withdrawal process is underway, though it cannot be finalized while Finland is engaged in ongoing conflict; however, officials stressed that this decision reflects a broader trend of states prioritizing immediate security needs over global arms control treaties in the face of heightened geopolitical instability.