Finland Ditches Anti-Mine Treaty for Border Protection
Finland abandons commitments related to anti-mine treaties
Going against the grain, Finland is ditching an international anti-mine treaty, joining a host of nations with eastern border disputes with Russia. Here's the lowdown on this controversial move.
In a surprising turn, Finland's parliament, by a landslide vote of 157 to 18, decided to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, a treaty that prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel land mines. This decision comes amidst the growing tension between Finland and its eastern neighbor, Russia.
The Finnish government had already signaled its intent to pull out of the treaty in early April, with the parliamentary foreign affairs committee throwing its backing behind the plan. The treaty exit will officially take effect six months following Finland's notification to the United Nations.
The Finnish military argues that they need these landmines to defend the country. The Ottawa Convention has been in effect since March 1999, and Finland signed the agreement in 2012. Notable absentees from the treaty include major powers such as the USA, Russia, China, and India.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, chose to join NATO in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finland became a part of the defense alliance in April 2023, with Sweden following suit a year later.
While Finland's exit from the treaty isn't exactly a surprise given the worsening geopolitical climate, it's a cause for concern for those who advocate for international disarmament efforts. The move could potentially complicate any future landmine clearance operations in the region, though the Finnish parliament has pledged to document any use of landmines meticulously to facilitate their removal in the future.
In essence, Finland's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention represents a defensive maneuver in response to the growing threat from Russia. Finland is far from alone in this move, with several of its neighbors, including Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, also announcing their intentions to exit the treaty due to heightened regional tensions.
- Amidst the escalating politics between Finland and its eastern neighbor, Russia, the Finnish parliament's decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, a treaty prohibiting the use of anti-personnel landmines, can be seen as a reflection of the community's employment policy, given the Finnish military's argument for the need of these landmines for national defense.
- The withdrawal of Finland from the Ottawa Convention, coupled with the decisions of its neighboring countries like Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, could impact the general news landscape, potentially igniting discussions on war-and-conflicts due to the growing tension in the region and the perceived need for such employment policies in border protection.
