Lithuania has withdrawn from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, usually referred to as the Ottawa Convention, in anticipation of growing regional instability. Poland, Latvia and Estonia have also backed out of the agreement.
According to a statement from the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, the move is expected to provide the withdrawing nations with more resources to counter aggressions that threaten their national security.
“The common regional decisions send a clear message: countries bordering Russia are prepared to use everything possible to protect their citizens. We have reached a unanimous position in an intense debate that represents the united standpoint of the Baltic states and Poland regarding the difficult geopolitical situation,” said Lithuanian National Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene.
In January, Sakaliene called on NATO to take up initiatives that would ensure continued support to Ukraine and measures that protect critical infrastructure, including undersea cables, amid increasing threats coming out of Moscow. Among her recommendations is revisiting the minimum defense spending the alliance asks from member states.
Lithuania was among the nations that ratified the Ottawa Convention in 2003, seeking to ban the use of antipersonnel landmines.