Lithuania withdraws from the international treaty on cluster munitions: what does it mean
Kyiv • UNN
Lithuania officially terminates its participation in the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which it signed in 2011. The country aims to strengthen its defense capabilities due to the threat from the Russian Federation, which is not a party to the treaty.
Lithuania officially withdraws from the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This was reported by AFP, as conveyed by UNN.
Details
The treaty, which unites over a hundred states, aims to limit the use of weapons that pose a threat to civilian populations due to the high level of unexploded ordnance.
Lithuania joined the Convention in 2011, however, due to changes in the field of national security, it made the decision to withdraw last autumn. The main argument was the desire to strengthen the country's defense capabilities and to have at its disposal the full range of military means, including cluster munitions.
Lithuanian authorities note that the main threat to the country comes from the terrorist Russian Federation, which is not a party to the Treaty. In Ukraine, the parties to the conflict have used cluster munitions that scatter hundreds of explosive elements capable of causing significant damage over a large area. Moreover, unexploded ordnance poses a danger even many years after hostilities.
After Lithuania's withdrawal from the Convention, Norway remains the only country that shares a border with the aggressor and is still a party to the agreement. This agreement does not apply to Finland.
Lithuania's exit from the Treaty occurs against the backdrop of numerous decisions by the Russian Federation regarding withdrawal from international agreements in the field of arms control. Moscow has already abandoned the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Tests and restrictions on military equipment in Europe.