Finland officially withdraws from Ottawa landmine treaty

On Saturday, January 10, Finland officially withdrew from the Ottawa Convention prohibiting anti-personnel landmines.

That is according to Yle, Ukrinform reports.

The Finnish government formally renounced the treaty on July 10, 2025, following similar moves by countries such as Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

Under the terms of the convention, a withdrawal takes effect six months after the United Nations secretary-general has received the instrument of denunciation.

Finland justified its decision on defense grounds, citing the deterioration of the security environment. Leaving the treaty allows Finland to reintroduce anti-personnel landmines into its military toolkit.

As reported, the Ottawa Convention was adopted in Oslo on September 18, 1997, and entered into force in 1999. More than 160 countries, including most Western states, have joined it. China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan have not signed the convention.

On December 27 last year, Latvia and Lithuania also officially withdrew from the Ottawa Convention. Latvian authorities explained the decision by the changing security situation in the Baltic region.

Photo: Unsplash/aboodi vesakaran