Lithuania Withdraws From Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, Citing Russian Threat

Lithuania has officially notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. The country submitted withdrawal documents to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, June 27, joining Latvia and Estonia in the coordinated move.

Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys announced the decision on social media, emphasizing that it was not taken lightly. “Lithuania harbors no illusions: Putin’s Russia is the greatest long-term existential threat to Europe,” Burdys wrote. “It wages war to achieve political goals, undermines stability through sabotage, and is preparing for prolonged confrontation.”

The minister stressed that Lithuania would take all necessary measures to protect its territory, population, and “every inch of NATO territory” in the face of Russian aggression. Despite the withdrawal, he emphasized that Lithuania’s commitment to responsible defense and international humanitarian law, including civilian protection, remains unchanged.

The withdrawal will take effect six months after the documents were submitted to the UN. Lithuania’s parliament approved the decision to denounce the Ottawa Convention in May, which was subsequently signed by the president.

This represents a regional shift in defense strategy. The Baltic states and Poland first announced their intention to withdraw from the treaty in early March, with Finland later joining the initiative. The move reflects growing security concerns among NATO’s eastern members as Russia continues its war in Ukraine.

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The 1997 Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, has been signed by 164 countries. The coordinated Baltic withdrawal marks a significant departure from decades of international efforts to eliminate these weapons.