Latvia Parliament Votes to Withdraw From Landmines Treaty

Latvian lawmakers voted on Wednesday to quit a treaty banning anti-personnel mines, as the Baltic state bordering Russia seeks to reinforce its security amid the Ukraine war.

The EU and NATO member and other countries in the region have ramped up defence spending and training since Moscow’s troops invaded Ukraine in 2022, voicing fears that Russia could target them next.

“Withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention will give our armed forces room for manoeuvre in the event of a military threat to use all possible means to defend our citizens,” Inara Murniece, chair of the foreign affairs committee, said in a statement released by the Latvian parliament.

The parliament approved the treaty exit by a large margin. The decision is set to come into effect six months after Latvia formally notifies the United Nations.

More than 160 countries and territories are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, including Ukraine but not the United States or Russia.

The treaty bans signatories from acquiring, producing, stockpiling or using anti-personnel mines, which are designed to be buried or hidden on the ground.

They often mutilate victims, who are not immediately killed, and aid groups decry their long-term impact on civilians.

Last month, Latvia and fellow Baltic states Estonia and Lithuania, as well as Poland, announced their plans to renounce the treaty.

“In light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia’s aggression... it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities,” their defence ministers said in a joint statement.

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The four countries pledged to, despite the withdrawal, “remain committed to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during an armed conflict”.

Finland also announced earlier this month that it planned to withdraw from the treaty.