SAEDNEWS: The President of Ukraine announced his country’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention in order to resume the use of anti-personnel mines in the war.
According to Saed News, quoting Reuters, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, announced on Sunday that he has signed an order for his country’s withdrawal from the “Ottawa Convention” banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines. He described this step as a necessary response to Russia’s tactics in the ongoing 40-month war.
Ukraine had ratified this convention in 2005. Other countries bordering Russia, including Finland, Poland, and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), have either withdrawn from the treaty or announced intentions to do so.
In his nightly address, Zelensky emphasized that Russia never joined this convention and uses anti-personnel mines and other weapons, including ballistic missiles, with utmost ruthlessness.
He added: “This is the hallmark of Russian killers: destroying life by any means possible. We see how our European neighbors are responding to this threat.”
The Ukrainian president also acknowledged: “We understand the complexities of the withdrawal process during wartime, but we have taken this political step to show our political partners what must be prioritized. This issue concerns all countries bordering Russia.”
According to Zelensky, anti-personnel mines are often tools with no substitute for defensive purposes. Russia has extensively used these mines in areas under its military operations in Ukraine. Kyiv considers clearing these mines a key element in post-war reconstruction.
