Lithuanian parliament backs withdrawal from landmine ban treaty over Russian threat

Lithuania’s parliament has voted to withdraw from a landmark international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, citing growing security concerns posed by neighbouring Russia.

The decision, passed on May 8, would see Lithuania exit the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of anti-personnel mines, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The move comes as all five NATO and EU member states bordering Russia — Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Finland — consider abandoning the accord in light of what they describe as an escalating threat from Moscow.

Latvia's parliament approved a similar measure in April. So far, none of the five countries have formally completed the withdrawal process. Under the treaty's terms, a country becomes exempt from its obligations six months after notifying the United Nations and fellow signatories.

Russia is not a party to the Ottawa Convention and has deployed landmines during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Notably, the Ottawa Convention, formally known as the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, is an international agreement that prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Adopted on 18 September 1997 and entering into force on March 1, 1999, the treaty has been signed by 164 countries (including Palestine) as of 2025. Key non-signatories include the United States, Russia, and China.

The Convention mandates the destruction of stockpiled landmines within four years and the clearance of mined areas within ten. It also obliges states to assist mine victims and support mine clearance operations. Since its implementation, over 55 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed, and large tracts of land have been cleared.

By Aghakazim Guliyev