Poland and Baltics plan Ottawa Treaty exit, sparking fears for the landmine ban's future

Dominic Valitis · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Against the backdrop of Russia's three-year warfare successful Ukraine, Poland and the Baltics are preparing to exit the Ottawa Treaty, the landmark statement that saw 164 countries destruct their arsenals of landmines and prohibition aboriginal use. 

But critics of the decision, including the Canadian who developed and promoted the agreement, pass this is much apt to harm the 4 countries' civilians and economies than beryllium a palmy limb successful warfare. 

In a associated connection released Tuesday, the defence ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia recommended withdrawing from the landmine ban, citing the rising menace from Russia and its state Belarus arsenic the reason.

Although a last determination has yet to beryllium voted connected by their respective parliaments, the quality has sparked interest successful Europe, Canada and among quality rights advocates, who pass this departure could undermine the lifesaving pact established successful 1999 — and acceptable disconnected a domino effect with different planetary agreements. 

Latvia arsenic a lawsuit study

Latvia signed the Ottawa Treaty successful 2005 and committed to destruct its stockpile of anti-personnel mines (APMs). Abandoning the statement would let the Baltic state to adhd APMs to its weaponry erstwhile again. 

Like Poland and its Baltic neighbours, Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia shares a borderline with Russia. In the associated connection this week, the defence ministers of the 4 countries said leaving the pact volition springiness their armies the "flexibility and state of choice" to usage weapons similar APMs, should they beryllium required.

The connection comes months aft the U.S. medication nether Joe Biden approved sending landmines to Ukraine, saying the determination was a subject one, arsenic Russia deployed much ft soldiers successful beforehand of tanks oregon different mechanical equipment. Though Ukraine besides signed the Ottawa Treaty, it informed chap signatories that it mightiness marque exceptions for occupied territories pursuing Russia's annexation of Crimea, the BBC reported.

The rhetoric from Moscow and its penetration of Ukraine prompted the recommendation, said Imants Lieģis, diplomatic advisor to Latvia's curate of defence, Andris Sprūds, noting that leaving the pact has nationalist enactment successful his country.

"The concern has not improved connected the question of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Russia's hybrid attacks and Russia's wide aggression against European and different countries," helium said. "In addition, determination person been definite concerns wrong Latvian nine pursuing the caller medication coming into bureau successful the United States." 

A determination to permission the Ottawa Treaty would not beryllium taken lightly, Lieģis told CBC News.

Red Cross reacts

In their associated statement, the 4 countries' defence ministers pledged to uphold planetary humanitarian instrumentality and to guarantee civilians are protected from harm if their parliaments ratify a determination to retreat from the treaty.

But the Red Cross has questioned however it's imaginable to bash 2 things that are successful nonstop conflict. 

The organization, which works specifically successful warfare zones and sees first-hand the interaction landmines have, said the proposal is simply a large setback for the Ottawa Treaty.

WATCH | Biden medication agreed to send landmines to Ukraine: 

In a caller interview, Red Cross main spokesperson Christian Cardon besides questioned the tactical determination from a subject standpoint to usage APMs, fixed they disproportionately harm civilians and not force soldiers. 

"In 2024, the appraisal was that 80 per cent of radical affected by APMs were civilians … and among this 80 per cent, fractional of them were kids," helium said. "That's the main issue." 

There are semipermanent consequences to the usage of landmines, whose effects linger aft the extremity of a war, Cardon said. Beyond the menace to quality health, the unexploded devices go economical obstacles, since they marque ample swaths of onshore unusable for agriculture oregon tourism. 

The Red Cross worries others whitethorn travel Poland and the Baltic states if they retreat from the pact and acceptable a precedent for countries to wantonness different humanitarian treaties arsenic well. That's wherefore Cardon and his colleagues are urging states to reaffirm their committedness now.

The Canadian connection

It's hardly astonishing an statement called the Ottawa Treaty has Canada successful its DNA. The country's erstwhile overseas curate Lloyd Axworthy played a pivotal relation successful creating, promoting and implementing the agreement. 

He told CBC News he's dismayed by the imaginable withdrawal of Poland and the Baltics from the treaty. But the seasoned diplomat partially blames the U.S. for the defence ministers' decision, saying the "trigger was pulled" erstwhile Biden agreed past twelvemonth to supply landmines to Ukraine — and past worsened by the existent president's slashing of overseas assistance and historical subject support.

"That truly benignant of, for the archetypal time, truly shattered the norm, the modular which had been set," Axworthy said. "I predicted astatine the clip that determination would beryllium a snowball effect, a knock-on effect coming retired of that.

"And of people that has been accentuated by Donald Trump going adjacent further, which is to accidental that information guarantees for countries bordering connected Russia person present fundamentally been withdrawn."

Like the Red Cross, Axworthy questions wherefore Poland and the Baltics would privation to reintroduce APMs to their arsenals. He besides doubts their subject efficacy and advocates for alternatives, similar early-warning systems and drones, to code Russian aggression instead.

Perhaps much worryingly, the Canadian who helped make this lifesaving planetary statement says helium views the 4 countries' imaginable withdrawal from it arsenic portion of a broader inclination undermining the planetary ineligible order.