Eastern European Defence: Farewell to the Ban on Mines

World - Security on Europe's eastern border is undergoing a new phase of strategic redefinition. The defence ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia jointly announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Conventionthe 1997 international treaty banning the production, stockpiling, sale and use of anti-personnel mines. The decision, formalised in a joint declaration, will now have to be submitted to the individual national parliaments for approval.

Una mossa che, se confermata, rappresenterebbe un cambio di rotta significativo nella politica di sicurezza dei quattro Paesi. A pesare, secondo i ministri, è il deterioramento della sicurezza nella regione baltica e lungo i confini orientali dell’Alleanza Atlantica. “Dalla ratifica della Convenzione per la messa al bando delle mine antiuomo – si legge nella nota ufficiale – la situazione della sicurezza nella nostra regione si è fondamentalmente deteriorata”. I Paesi firmatari citano in particolare “l’aggressione della Russia e la sua continua minaccia alla comunità euro-atlantica” come motivazione alla base della revisione delle proprie scelte in materia di difesa.

The choice after leaving the Oslo Convention

This is not the first time that these states have called into question multilateral arms agreements. Lithuania, in fact, recently abandoned the Oslo Conventionbanning the use of cluster bombs, signalling an increasing priority given to strengthening territorial defences.

“La flessibilità e la libertà di scelta nell’adozione di nuovi sistemi offensivi e difensivi – affermano i ministri – sono oggi elementi imprescindibili per garantire la sicurezza del vulnerabile lato orientale della Nato”. Nella dichiarazione, i titolari della Difesa di Estonia (Hanno Pevkur), Lettonia (Andris Sprūds), Lituania (Dovilė Šakalienė) e Polonia (Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz) sottolineano che, pur ritirandosi dalla Convenzione di Ottawa, i loro Paesi continueranno a rispettare il diritto umanitario internazionale e a tutelare i civili durante i conflitti armati.

Pressure from the eastern front

The war in Ukraine and the escalation of tensions with Russia have reopened the debate on the need for Eastern European countries to take extraordinary defence measures. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, earlier this month, had already announced the start of procedures for Poland's exit from the Ottawa Treaty. Finland, although not a signatory to today's declaration, has also confirmed that it is considering a similar step.

However, Hanno Pevkur made it clear that there are currently no plans to develop, stockpile or use anti-personnel mines, while Latvia's Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Kaspars Pudāns, reiterated that Riga's priorities remain focused on anti-tank mines and the availability of artillery shells.

A blow to the Ottawa Treaty

The joint withdrawal of Poland and the Baltic States would represent a severe blow to the Ottawa Conventionalready under pressure from ongoing conflicts and the increasing militarisation of border areas. Signed in 1997, the Convention aimed to ban anti-personnel mines worldwide and has so far been joined by more than 160 countries.

However, twelve states - including United States, China and Russia - have never ratified the agreement or officially renounced the possibility of manufacturing anti-personnel mines. Added to this is the fact that 16 countries worldwide continue to produce cluster bombsweapons banned by the 2008 Oslo Convention, but still considered strategic in many conflict scenarios.

Now the exit of four strategic nations, placed on the most delicate front of the Atlantic Alliance, risks further undermining the solidity of international agreements on disarmament and reopening the question of the use of controversial weapons systems, but considered by some governments as essential for the defence of their territories.