Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree to pull Ukraine out of the Ottawa Convention.
He deemed it a necessary step in view of Russian tactics in their 40-month-old war.
The Ottawa Convention bans signatories from acquiring, producing, stockpiling or using anti-personnel mines, which are designed to be buried or hidden on the ground.
They often leave victims mutilated if they are not immediately killed, and aid groups denounce the long-term risk of unexploded mines for civilians.
More than 160 countries and territories are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, though neither the United States nor Russia have joined.
Ukraine ratified the convention in 2005.
Zelenskyy said in a video address that Russia had never been a party to the convention “and is using anti-personnel mines with utmost cynicism” along with other weapons, including ballistic missiles.
“This is a hallmark of Russian killers. To destroy life by all means at their disposal … We see how our neighbours in Europe react to this threat.
“We also know the complexities of the withdrawal procedure when it is conducted during war.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Asserting that his move concerns all countries that border Russia, Zelenskyy stated, “We take this political step and give a signal to our political partners on what to focus on.”
He added that anti-personnel mines are “often the instrument for which nothing can be substituted for defence purposes.”
To enter into force, the decision still must be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament and notified to the United Nations.
As such, the date when the decision will take effect are still unclear.
Anti-personnel mines are scattered across the battlefield in Ukraine, with soldiers and civilians often losing their feet or limbs due to detonations.
Territories liberated by Ukraine since 2022 have been heavily covered with mines, making it extremely difficult and dangerous to clear them.
According to Human Rights Watch’s June report, Russia has used more than a dozen variants of anti-personnel mines since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In a surprise move that angered Moscow, the Biden administration in 2024 approved the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.
Then Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin said it was to help Ukraine stall the Russian advances in the east as the front-line situation deteriorated.
A Difficult But Necessary Decision
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement the decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention was “difficult but necessary” in order to “protect our land from occupation, and our people from horrific Russian atrocities.”
It stressed that confronted with Russia’s invasion, “Ukraine is compelled to give unconditional priority to the security of its citizens and the defence of the state.”
Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the parliament’s defense committee, said in the Facebook post announcing a significant move forward in withdrawing from the major mine treaty, “This step has been demanded by the reality of war long ago.”
“Russia … uses mines against our military and civilians on a massive scale. We cannot remain bound by conditions when the enemy has no restrictions.”
Roman Kostenko
The treaty withdrawal, more than three years into Moscow’s invasion, follows similar decisions by other countries bordering Russia.
Notably, Finland, Poland and the three ex-Soviet Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – have either withdrawn from the convention or indicated that they would do so.
However, in March, human rights groups condemned their intention to pull out from the convention.
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