Finland's Parliament Overwhelmingly Votes to Withdraw from Ottawa Treaty to Address Russian Threats
On the 19th, Finland's Parliament overwhelmingly passed the decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits anti-personnel landmines, with a vote of 157 in favor and 18 against. This move aims to strengthen national security in response to the increasing military threats from Russia. Finland's Defense Minister, Antti Kaikkonen, expressed support for the withdrawal prior to the vote, stating that with a 1,340 km border with Russia, measures must be taken to reduce the risk of attack.
The Ottawa Treaty was signed in 1997 and came into effect in 1999, banning the use of anti-personnel landmines, but neither the United States nor Russia has signed it. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the threat posed by Russia to European security has significantly increased, and in March this year, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also announced their withdrawal to take all necessary measures to safeguard their national security.
