Another Country Withdraws From Ottawa Convention Banning Anti-Personnel Mines: Details
Kyiv • UNN
The Polish Sejm voted in favor of the country's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, allowing the use of anti-personnel mines. The Minister of Defense stated that the country cannot have restrictions in protecting itself from a Russian invasion.
The Sejm of the Republic of Poland voted to withdraw the country from the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines. This is reported by UNN referring to WNP.
Details
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that Poland cannot be subjected to any restrictions that would prevent it from defending itself in the event of a Russian invasion.
Reference
Poland and four other countries have withdrawn from the anti-personnel mine ban treaty. These are Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia: the military command of these states is working on mining the territories bordering Russia and Belarus in order to deter the Russians from attacking NATO.
The Ottawa Convention or the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Oslo on September 18, 1997 and opened for signature in Ottawa on December 3-4, 1997. It entered into force on March 1, 1999.
Ukraine signed the convention in February 1999 in New York. The ratification of the treaty by the Verkhovna Rada took place on May 18, 2005.
Recall
Lithuania has proposed to build a high-tech defense line on the border with Russia and Belarus. This includes anti-personnel mines, anti-tank ditches and long-range artillery, costing EUR 1 billion.