Ottawa Treaty prohibits the use, production and storage of anti -personal mines. Finland justifies a decision with Russia’s growing threat in Europe
Finland is preparing to withdraw from the Treaty of Ottawa, which prohibits the use, production and storage of antipersal mines, in response to Russia’s growing threat in Europe.
In addition, the Finnish government wants to increase investment in defense, announcing an increase of another three billion euros to the military industry, aiming to move from the current 2.4% to 3% of GDP in defense in 2029.
The decision was advanced by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who warned that Russia represents a long-term threat to the whole of Europe. “The removal of the Ottawa Convention allows us to prepare for changes in the safety environment in a more versatile way,” he said at a press conference quoted by Reuters.
The decision is supported by Finland President Alexander Stubb, who stresses that this measure “is part of Finland’s contribution to Europe to take greater responsibility in the defense itself.”
The Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Sari Essayah, ensured that Finland will “use mines responsibly”, describing them as “a dissuasive factor” necessary for the country’s defense.
“Finland will use mines responsibly, but it is a dissuasive factor we need,” said Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Sari Essayah, at a press conference on Tuesday.
Finland shares a border of almost 1,400 kilometers with Russia. The announcement comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has been insisting on ending the conflict in Ukraine as quickly as possible, which has raised growing concerns in Poland and Baltic countries such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – which last month announced that they want from Ottawa, signed in 1967.
The Treaty of Ottawa is part of a series of international agreements celebrated after the end of the Cold War to encourage worldwide disarmament. Finland destroyed more than one million anti -personal mines since 2012, and was the last state of the European Union to sign the Ottawa Convention, which was signed by more than 160 countries – but not by Russia.
The departure of this treaty requires the approval of the Finnish Parliament, which, to evaluate for the widespread support of opposition parties in the same sense, will not be difficult.
