Leaving Ottawa: Lithuania Denounces the Anti-Personnel Mines Convention

Significant changes are happening on NATO’s eastern flank. In 2024 Lithuania denounced the Convention on Cluster Munitions. More recently, on May 8, 2025, Lithuania announced its decision to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction adopted in 1997 (Ottawa Convention). The withdrawal will take effect in six months.

There are two primary reasons for this latter decision. The first concerns the complicated geopolitical reality presented by Russia’s continuing aggression against Ukraine. Various assessment reports consider that within two to five years, Russia will be capable of launching a military campaign or operation against any State on NATO’s eastern flank, especially if the armed conflict against Ukraine comes to a halt and international actors lift sanctions against Russia’s economy.

The second reason is Lithuania’s concern about how the United States will interpret the NATO Article 5 obligations it owes towards its European allies. Although Lithuania has increased its military spending significantly, previous national defense plans that rely on the military power of allies have come into question. This has triggered an accelerated buildup of defensive measures.

Simply put, the reasons for the denunciation of the Ottawa Convention are the same as in the case of the Cluster Munitions Convention: security; and defense capabilities. Lithuania is not doing this alone. Neighboring countries, which share a border with Russia and Belarus, namely Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, are adopting a similar approach.

The Process

Lithuania initiated the process to leave the Ottawa convention in early 2025. The Ministry of Defense raised the initial proposal and discussed this in the Council for State’s Defense under the President of Lithuania. The Council decided to consult with allies and other States in the region. After two months of long and complicated discussions, on March 18, the Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Polish ministers of defense issued a joint statement asking their respective governments to denounce the treaty. Finland added its weight to the statement within a week.

This joint statement and regional consensus gave the green light to national legislative procedures, and, with the support of the government and President, on May 8, the Lithuanian Parliament voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention. During the voting in Parliament there were a few abstentions from members of Parliament well known for their views against the increase of defense spending and generally in favor of an appeasement policy towards Russia. None of them raised any humanitarian issues. Their only argument was that anti-personnel mines are not effective.

The Minister of Defense, Dovilė Šakalienė, issued a Facebook post stating that Lithuania is planning to lodge denunciation instruments together with an explanatory letter with the UN Security Council. The denunciation will come into effect six months from the date of notification. During this period, Lithuania will analyze possibilities to acquire and produce landmines, to train military personnel, and possibly to mine the border with Russia and Belarus.

Debate and Public Response

As with the Cluster Munitions Convention, expert debate surrounding the proposal concentrated on military matters. Although Lithuania has a Special Commission for Implementation of International Humanitarian Law under the Ministry of Defense, it was again not called upon to consider the issue. There were some discussions in traditional and social media, but these mainly presented the proposal from the defense standpoint and any doubts expressed did not grow into a significant public debate.

It therefore seems there is a public consensus to lift the prohibition on anti-personnel landmines for the sake of security. Internationally, Amnesty International and other non-governmental organizations have expressed great disappointment in the decision and have called upon Lithuania to reconsider it. Despite this, the denunciation process is also ongoing in other NATO States on Russia’s eastern flank. In Estonia the proposal has passed the governmental stage and Latvia has already denounced the convention.

Other International Obligations on Landmines

Lithuania (and the other mentioned States) remain parties to the 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, adopted on May 3, 1996. This protocol provides for specific rules on landmines usage, such as the prohibition of booby-traps, indiscriminate use of landmines, use of non-detectable landmines, and the marking of minefields. There are currently no discussions, and most likely there will be no initiative to leave this treaty, because of its different character.

Summing Up

Lithuania’s denunciation of the Ottawa Convention slightly differed from its withdrawal from the Cluster Munitions Convention. In the wake of Lithuania’s decision, there is now a regional consensus on the issue with Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Finland supporting the joint statement. The reasons for the decision to withdraw from the Cluster Munitions and Ottawa Conventions are otherwise consistent: the prevalence of security and military arguments. Also, a public consensus on the issue seemingly exists, as there has been very limited national debate.

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Justinas Žilinskas is a Professor of Public International Law at the Mykolas Romeris University.

The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense. 

Articles of War is a forum for professionals to share opinions and cultivate ideas. Articles of War does not screen articles to fit a particular editorial agenda, nor endorse or advocate material that is published. Authorship does not indicate affiliation with Articles of War, the Lieber Institute, or the United States Military Academy West Point.

Photo credit: Asso Puidet, Estonian Defence League