 "Zelenskyy set to pull Ukraine out of Ottawa Convention treaty: What is it?")
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (June 29) signed a decree initiating Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention or the Mine Ban Treaty, citing the urgent demands of national defense amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the decision was “difficult but necessary,” describing it as a response to Russia’s extensive use of landmines against both military personnel and civilians.
“I hereby decree… to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine dated June 29, 2025 on Ukraine’s withdrawal” from the landmark convention, Zelenskyy said.
“Russia… uses mines against our military and civilians on a massive scale. We cannot remain bound by conditions when the enemy has no restrictions,” a Ukrainian lawmaker, Roman Kostenko, said on social media.
What is the Ottawa Convention?
The Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Mine Ban Treaty, is an international agreement that prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Signed in 1997, it aims to eliminate weapons that often remain lethal long after conflicts end. Mines banned under the treaty are designed to explode when triggered by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person, causing indiscriminate harm.
More than 160 countries are parties to the treaty, including most Nato members and European states. Major powers like the United States, Russia, and China have not signed it.
Human rights organisations have condemned plans by Ukraine and several of its allies to exit the treaty. Critics warn that such withdrawals could weaken a decades-long global consensus to limit weapons that disproportionately harm civilians.
Kyiv’s decision comes after similar moves or considerations by Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia — all of which share borders with Russia and cite heightened security threats as justification. Ukrainian lawmaker Roman Kostenko defended the move, saying, “We cannot remain bound by conditions when the enemy has no restrictions.”
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