Zelensky: Ukraine to Withdraw from Ottawa Convention on Anti-Personnel Mines
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree on Sunday withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the production and use of anti-personnel mines, according to webangah News Agency. he described the move as a necessary response to Russia’s tactics in their ongoing 40-month war.
Ukraine had originally ratified this convention in 2005. Other Russian-border nations including Finland, Poland, and the three Baltic states (Estonia, latvia, Lithuania) have either withdrawn or announced intentions to leave this treaty.
In his nightly address, Zelenskyy stressed that Russia never joined this convention and has extensively used these weapons throughout the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of employing “maximum brutality” by using anti-personnel mines, ballistic missiles, and other weapons in the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy stated, “This is the signature of Russian killers: destroying lives by any means possible. We see how our European neighbors are responding to this threat.”
The Ukrainian president acknowledged the complexities of wartime decision-making but emphasized that Kyiv had taken this political step to demonstrate priorities to international partners. “This issue concerns all countries bordering Russia,” he added.
According to Zelenskyy, anti-personnel mines frequently enough serve as irreplaceable defensive tools. However, Russia has deployed them extensively across occupied Ukrainian territories. Kyiv considers mine clearance a critical component of postwar reconstruction efforts.
