Baltic States and Poland Withdraw from Ottawa Treaty on Anti-Personnel Mines, Finland Still Considering

“Given the current level of technology, I expect we would equip such mines with self-destruct mechanisms,” Kunnas said. He added that these mines shouldn't require constant monitoring or controlled detonation via radio signal, as Russian forces would likely jam communications.

According to Kunnas, the minimum useful quantity is 100,000 mines. “They have a significant impact—psychologically as well. There’s always the option to use decoys alongside them,” he noted. The expert emphasized that simply withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, without possessing, producing, or training with mines, would carry no real weight as a deterrent for soldiers.

“If we don’t have the ability to integrate anti-personnel mines into our combat engineering barriers alongside defensive structures, they wouldn’t serve as a deterrent,” he said, adding that developing such a capability would take at least two to three years. “If we don’t do it, the Finns certainly will. Then we can buy from them and train our units. Naturally, anti-personnel mines should be an organic part of the defense system.”

Security expert Meelis Oidsalu cautioned that simply scattering mines along the border without implementing other components of the Baltic military defensive line would be nothing more than self-harm. “It’s important that politicians don’t start mandating the purchase and deployment of mines if military leaders don’t consider them safe or militarily effective,” Oidsalu said. “A landmine is a very passive and purely defensive measure.”

Former Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, General Martin Herem, pointed out that all minefields—like other obstacles and barriers—are meant to delay, temporarily halt, or channel the enemy. “To achieve the final result, you still need indirect and direct fire assets and their ammunition. Mines are no substitute for ammunition,” he said. 

“We can withdraw from the convention, but achieve the same effect with other means. Do anti-personnel mines significantly improve our situation? Do they affect the targets we want to strike from 20 kilometers away? I say they don’t replace even a gram of ammunition, because on their own they don’t kill the enemy. And they’re certainly no help against artillery, indirect fire, or air-dropped munitions.”

It was Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė who initiated a regional approach to withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, coordinating the move with the other Baltic states, Finland, and Poland.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene still expects a joint decision on the withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines to be made by the five regional states bordering Russia. Finland is currently weighing a similar decision.

"We are together in very intense discussions with our partners in the region so that all the five countries having borders with Russia - Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland - would be able to make a joint decision and send a joint strategic message," Sakaliene told a joint press conference with her Polish counterpart Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.

"And in the current moment, after intense discussions, we think that we are very close to that solution and we want to give some time to our partners to make their final decisions and then we are hoping for a joint position of all the five ministers as soon as possible," she added. "At this stage, the Finns need a few more weeks. We will see how things work out for the five, but for the four of us, we will certainly have news very soon," Sakaliene had told press on March 14 according to the Baltic News Service.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen has told Finnish Public Broadcasting (Yle) on March 18, that the report on anti-personnel mines, prepared by the Finnish Defense Command, will be handed over to the Defense Minister within this week or, at the latest, next week. Häkkänen stated that the report also examines other types of mines, including those requiring advanced technology. He noted that he maintains close contact with the Defense Ministers of Poland and the Baltic states, and that their joint declaration did not come as a surprise to Finland. However, he emphasized that Finland will assess the matter based on its own national considerations.

The critical issue of civilian harm resulting from the use of previously banned mines has yet to be clearly addressed in public discourse.

Following its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, Lithuania will assume responsibility for clearing affected areas after the end of any military conflict, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys told reporters at the Lithuanian parliament on the same day the joint declaration was issued by the four countries.

"What we are telling our partners is that we are not ignoring all the consequences, we understand that we need to do this on the battlefield and that it is Lithuania's great responsibility to clean up the mined territories after the victory," Budrys explained.

"With these aspects in hand, we are saying that we are not violating the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law in this way, we are acting responsibly, we are making decisions in the region, we will look for joint and technological solutions on how to demine and clean up these territories if necessary after a military conflict, and it seems to me that we are heard," he said.

In his words, the issue of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention is more sensitive than the denunciation of the Oslo Convention banning cluster munitions, which Lithuania recently withdrew from.

"The conflicts that have just ended and the visible situation involving mines in particular regions, such as Syria, and casualties and injuries every day, are a reminder that this is a matter of great responsibility," Budrys underlined.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina told the news conference that the defense minister had consulted with the European countries building a joint defense line - Poland, Lithuania and Estonia. The prime minister noted that the countries were also in contact with Finland on the issue. Silina added that Latvia will be neither the first nor the last country that might withdraw from the Ottawa Convention.

This, however, is the first time that Latvia withdraws from an international treaty. Silina underlined that the Parliament (Saeima) has yet to vote on the bill and that the coalition is likely to approve its adoption. This is also the case with other three nations.

"This decision will give our National Armed Forces additional capabilities. When and what they will be able to buy, is a matter for discussion and solutions over the next six months. Currently, none of the countries that have announced their wish to withdraw from the Convention are producing explosives or mines because the Convention does not allow it," the Prime Minister Silina said.

She noted that until the moment Latvia could withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, preparations would be made to figure out where Latvia would acquire mines if it wants them. According to Evika Silina, Latvia has considered the option of producing something locally.

The High Representative for European Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, stated in December 2024 that the decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty is solely a matter for the member states, suggesting that there would be no pressure from Brussels to prevent this historic — albeit controversial — move.