Finland’s parliament has voted to leave the Ottawa Convention, a global treaty aimed at banning antipersonnel land mines. The move comes amid growing tensions with Russia, which shares a 830-mile border with the Nordic country. Finnish lawmakers backed a proposal to exit the convention, citing concerns over Russia’s potential use of land mines as a defense strategy.
The decision follows similar moves by other Baltic countries, Latvia and Lithuania, and comes after a report by Landmine Monitor found that land mines are still being used in 2023 and 2024 by Russia, Myanmar, Iran, and North Korea. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that abandoning the treaty risks endangering countless lives and reversing decades of humanitarian progress.
Finland joined NATO in 2023 and is concerned about its defense capabilities against an increasingly assertive Russia. Land mines could be used to defend Finland’s vast and rugged terrain in the event of an attack, according to Finnish lawmakers. The country is among nearly three dozen nations that have not acceded to the Ottawa Convention.
Source: https://www.newser.com/story/370570/finland-votes-to-exit-treaty-ending-land-mines.html