FINLAND AND LITHUANIA SET TO PRODUCE ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES- For supply to Ukraine
Lithuania and Finland are reportedly set to start domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year to supply themselves and Ukraine.
The two countries, which border Russia, have announced their intention to pull out of the Ottawa Convention banning the use of such mines, and the officials said production could be launched once the six-month withdrawal process is completed.
Three other NATO and European Union states – Poland, Latvia and Estonia – are also quitting the treaty, citing rising security concerns about Russia because of its war in Ukraine.
Those three countries have not announced plans to start producing anti-personnel mines, but officials in Poland and Latvia have indicated they could start production quickly if needed, and Estonia sees it as a possible option in the future. Ukraine has also announced it is withdrawing from the 1997 Ottawa treaty.
The moves in Finland and Lithuania towards starting production of such mines underline mounting concern in Europe that Russia’s military ambitions may go beyond Ukraine and follow pledges by NATO states to increase defence spending, in line with demands by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Anti-mine campaigners have criticised the countries that are leaving the Ottawa Convention and say that reintroducing anti-personnel mine production could be expensive and take a long time to become fully operational.
