Finland Approves Withdrawal from Anti-Personnel Landmine Treaty

Finland’s parliament has voted in favor of withdrawing from the international treaty banning the use of anti-personnel landmines, aligning the country with several of its NATO neighbors amid growing security concerns in the region.

The decision, passed on Thursday with 157 votes in favour and only 8 against, will officially take effect six months after Finland formally notifies the United Nations. The move signals a significant shift in defense policy as Finland reconsiders its military strategies in response to heightened regional tensions.

Several of Finland’s NATO allies, including the Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—as well as Poland, have already withdrawn from the treaty. The Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee had approved the proposal earlier in April, paving the way for the vote.

The Finnish military has argued that maintaining the option to use anti-personnel mines is essential for national defense. This perspective has gained traction in recent years as the security environment in Northern and Eastern Europe has evolved rapidly.

The treaty, formally known as the Ottawa Convention, came into force in March 1999. It prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. Finland joined the treaty in 2012 but had maintained reservations about its limitations in military defiance scenarios.

Major global powers, including the United States, Russia, China, India, and Pakistan, have never signed the treaty, citing security and strategic concerns.

Finland’s decision to withdraw places it in closer alignment with NATO’s evolving defense posture, particularly along its eastern flank, as the alliance continues to adapt to rising geopolitical challenges.