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12h ago

Baltic States File Ottawa Treaty Exit as Ukraine Signs Decree to Withdraw

Officials cite Russia’s extensive mine use as a security threat demanding legal flexibility for defense, with commitments to demining and civilian protection.

A residential building after a Russian drone attack in Odesa on June 28, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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A soldier demining in the Donetsk region
Landmine

Overview

  • Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia lodged formal notifications with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this weekend to withdraw from the Mine Ban Treaty.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on June 29 to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention, advancing the plan to a parliamentary vote.
  • Under the treaty’s provisions, each withdrawal becomes effective six months after the UN receives official notice.
  • Backing their exits, governments point to Russia’s refusal to join the convention and its extensive use of anti-personnel mines as creating an unequal defensive environment.
  • The moves align Ukraine with neighboring NATO members Poland and Finland and underscore a regional shift toward legal freedom to deploy mines amid continued support for humanitarian demining.