Finland has officially informed the United Nations of its decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention — the global treaty banning anti-personnel landmines — the country’s foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday. The withdrawal will take effect in January 2026, six months after formal notification.

The move places Finland in alignment with several regional allies, including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland — all NATO and EU members — who are also distancing themselves from the treaty. Officials from these countries say the decision is driven by mounting security threats posed by Russia’s aggressive posture along their eastern borders.

In a notable shift in defense strategy, Finland and Lithuania are reportedly preparing to begin domestic production of anti-personnel landmines as early as next year. Leaders in both countries say the weapons are needed to strengthen their military capabilities and deterrence in the event of future conflict.

The Ottawa Convention, established in 1997, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. Finland acceded to the treaty in 2012 and completed its obligations in 2020. However, shifting geopolitical dynamics — particularly Russia’s actions in Ukraine and near NATO borders — have prompted a growing reassessment of the treaty’s limitations.

While humanitarian groups are expected to condemn the decision, Finnish and Baltic leaders have defended it as a difficult but necessary response to an increasingly unstable security environment.

“As the threats we face evolve, so must our preparedness,” one Finnish official said, emphasizing that national defense must take precedence in the current climate.

Finland’s departure from the Ottawa Convention underscores a broader trend of countries recalibrating their defense policies amid the return of great-power tensions in Europe.