Finland’s Exit From Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty Takes Effect

Overview

• The denunciation took effect on January 10, six months after Finland notified the United Nations on July 10, as reported by Yle.
• President Alexander Stubb has said Finland will not employ anti-personnel mines in peacetime and will retain existing stocks in storage.
• The withdrawal restores the option to produce and deploy anti-personnel mines, including potential border minefields if authorized, and follows similar steps by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
• Russia’s ambassador in Helsinki, Pavel Kuznetsov, downplayed the impact on Moscow and said the risks would fall mainly on Finns because mines would be laid on Finnish territory.
• The 1997 Ottawa Convention bans the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and counts 163 state parties.