Finland and Lithuania are set to begin domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year after announcing plans to quit the Ottawa Convention, citing the threat from Russia.
Finland and Lithuania are preparing to start producing anti-personnel landmines domestically from next year to strengthen their own defences and supply Ukraine, officials from the two NATO member states told Reuters.
The two countries, which border Russia, have declared their intention to withdraw from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning the use of such mines. Production could begin once the six-month withdrawal process is completed.
Three other NATO and EU states, Poland, Latvia and Estonia, are also leaving the treaty due to security concerns over Russia’s actions in Ukraine. While they have not announced production plans, Poland and Latvia indicated they could start quickly if needed, and Estonia is keeping it as a possible future option.
Ukraine has also withdrawn from the treaty to defend itself better against Russia, which is not a party to the agreement. Both sides have accused each other of using anti-personnel mines during the war.
The moves by Finland and Lithuania reflect mounting concerns in Europe about Russia’s military ambitions beyond Ukraine, amid NATO pledges to boost defence spending in line with demands by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lithuania’s Deputy Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa said the country would spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Tens of thousands, or more, would be ordered, with national industry as a key supplier. Vincas Jurgutis, head of Lithuania’s defence industry association, said the country would be in a position to supply mines to Ukraine once production is established.
Finland, which shares a 1,340 km border with Russia, also plans to produce mines domestically for its security. Heikki Autto, chair of Finland’s parliamentary defence committee, called them a highly effective and cost-efficient weapons system, adding that Finland should support Ukraine as part of its own security interests.
Before joining the Ottawa treaty in 2011, Finland held over 1 million anti-personnel landmines. Several Finnish defence companies have expressed interest in producing them, although they declined to comment publicly.
Anti-personnel mines, which can remain dangerous long after conflicts end, have drawn criticism from campaigners who warn reintroducing them will be costly and could harm civilians. However, the five NATO countries withdrawing from the treaty stress they will not create minefields during peacetime but will store the mines for quick deployment if needed.
Poland has designated zones along its eastern frontier for potential mining within days, while Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur described production as an option in their “back pocket”. Latvia’s defence ministry said it has the capability for production if required.
Poland’s state-owned defence group PGZ S.A. said it would be ready to produce millions of mines if needed, while private munitions maker ZSP Niewiadów plans to restart large-scale production in 2027.
The countries emphasise that any minefields will be marked and cleared after conflicts, viewing such munitions as a deterrent. “When we have them in storage, that is the best guarantee that they will never have to be used,” Autto said.
Kazakhstan says it's allocated $2.2 million to strengthen scientific monitoring of the Caspian Sea amid growing concern over falling water levels, bio...
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, e...
Robert Carradine, best known for his roles in The Long Riders, Revenge of the Nerds and the television series Lizzie McGuire, has died at the age of 7...
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of...
An Iranian military helicopter crashed in the city of Dorcheh, in Iran on Tuesday (24 February), causing the death of the pilot, co-pilot and two mark...
Finland’s Border Guard says it plans to establish a maritime surveillance centre to help prevent damage to critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland, amid heightened concerns over cable and pipeline security in the Baltic Sea.
Finland and Sweden have called for tougher economic measures against Russia, proposing higher import duties, export restrictions, and an European Union ban on Russian energy shipments.
The number of reported hate crimes has risen steadily each year since around 2020 in Finland, according to the Police University College. In 2025, nearly 70% of the crime reports filed were motivated by the victims' ethnic or national background.
Türkiye and Finland have agreed to strengthen cooperation in defence and European security. Both countries held discussions in Helsinki to further these efforts.
Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.
The United States and Iran will hold a new round of nuclear negotiations in Geneva on Thursday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to reach a potential agreement, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Sunday.
Further Iran-U.S. nuclear talks are scheduled in Geneva on Thursday (26 February) as diplomacy resumes over Tehran’s nuclear programme following earlier mediation efforts. But will the talks move Iran-U.S. negotiations closer to a deal, and what should be expected from the meeting?
Mexican authorities said on Sunday that Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was killed during a military operation in the western state of Jalisco.
Syria has secured a $50 million financing package from the World Bank to support transport infrastructure projects as the country advances its economic recovery efforts, Syrian media reported on Sunday.
Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Western governments significantly expanded sanctions targeting Russia’s finance, energy, trade and technology sectors. The measures built on restrictions first imposed in 2014 following Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.
Britain imposed its largest package of sanctions on Russia in years on Tuesday (24 February), marking the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, as London also announced fresh military and humanitarian support for Kyiv.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new 10% global tariffs have come into effect, hours after the Supreme Court blocked many of his sweeping import taxes in a 6–3 ruling. Allies around the world are weighing possible retaliation, while markets brace for further upheaval.
Torrential downpours have triggered deadly mudslides and widespread flooding in southern Peru, leaving at least seventeen people dead - including fifteen killed in a military helicopter crash - as hundreds of districts across the country remain under a state of emergency.
The U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, has been banned from meeting members of the French government after not showing up at the Foreign Affairs ministry, where he had been summoned over comments on the killing of a French far-right activist last week, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment