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yesterday

Baltic States Notify UN of Mine Ban Treaty Exit as Ukraine Moves to Withdraw

Formal notifications trigger six-month withdrawal periods under treaty rules, with Ukraine pushing its own exit plan toward parliamentary approval.

A residential building after a Russian drone attack in Odesa on June 28, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Overview

  • Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia officially submitted their withdrawal notices from the 1997 Ottawa Convention to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on June 27–29, 2025.
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree on June 29 ordering Ukraine’s exit from the mine ban treaty, pending a vote in the Ukrainian parliament.
  • Under Ottawa Convention provisions, each withdrawal will take effect six months after the UN receives the formal notification.
  • Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys and Estonian and Latvian counterparts cited Russia’s long-term military threat as the primary justification for restoring anti-personnel mine capabilities.
  • Despite the departures, the Baltic states and Ukraine reaffirm their commitment to international humanitarian law and continued support for demining and victim assistance.