Estonia has officially notified the United Nations of its intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, and also requires their destruction. This information was announced by Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna.
The minister noted that the lessons learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine have shown that, for effective national defense, one cannot impose unilateral arms restrictions that the adversary does not observe. Exiting the convention will give the Estonian armed forces greater flexibility in choosing the necessary weapon systems and solutions to strengthen defense capabilities.
“The lessons learned from Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine demonstrate that to better protect our country, we should not impose unilateral arms restrictions that the opponent does not follow. By withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, the Estonian armed forces will have greater flexibility in selecting weapon systems, tools, and solutions needed to enhance the country’s defense capabilities.”
– Margus Tsahkna
At the same time, the minister emphasized that Estonia remains committed to upholding international humanitarian law and protecting civilians, even after leaving the convention. The country will continue to support humanitarian projects related to demining and assistance to victims of armed conflicts.
The Ottawa Convention, which came into force in 1999, was ratified by Estonia in 2004. However, due to the deteriorating security situation, particularly because of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, withdrawal from the convention is considered the right step for the country.
In addition to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland have also initiated the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention.