IRIA News

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on June 29, 2025, that Ukraine will initiate withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention, a landmark international treaty banning the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel landmines.

“I have signed a decree to withdraw Ukraine from the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines,” President Zelenskyy said during a national address, underscoring that Ukraine must be free to deploy all defensive measures necessary to repel Russian forces.

“Russia has never been a party to this convention and uses anti-personnel mines in an extremely cynical manner,” he said. “Anti-personnel mines often have no alternative for defense,” Zelenskyy said.

The decision aligns Kyiv with recent moves by several of its NATO and regional allies, including Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, all of which share a direct or proximate border with Russia.

Zelenskyy went further, accusing Moscow of utilizing landmines as part of a broader strategy of indiscriminate violence against civilians. “It is the signature style of Russian killers to destroy life by all methods at their disposal,” he said. “By taking this political step, we are sending a signal to all our partners on what to focus on. This applies to all countries along the perimeter of Russia’s borders.”

While the decree marks a significant step, Ukraine’s withdrawal from the treaty must still be approved by the country’s parliament. Senior lawmaker Roman Kostenko, who serves as the secretary of the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, supported the move, stating that it reflects the strategic necessity of the current conflict.

“This is a step that the reality of war has long demanded. Russia is not a party to this Convention and is massively using mines against our military and civilians,” Kostenko wrote on his official Facebook page.

“We cannot remain tied down in an environment where the enemy has no restrictions. The legislative decision must definitively restore Ukraine’s right to effectively defend its territory,” Kostenko said. However, he did not specify when the proposal would be brought to the floor of parliament for debate.

The Ottawa Treaty and Ukraine’s commitment

The Ottawa Convention, officially known as the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, was established to eliminate the widespread and long-lasting humanitarian impact of anti-personnel mines. Over 160 countries are party to the agreement, which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of these devices. Ukraine became a signatory in 1999 and ratified the treaty in 2005, committing itself to dismantling and destroying its stockpiles of anti-personnel mines.

Historically, Ukraine’s adherence to the treaty had strong international support, especially from European partners who prioritized humanitarian demining operations and civilian protection. However, the Russian invasion in 2014 and the full-scale war that erupted in 2022 have strained the limits of Ukraine’s prior commitments.

As of 2025, Ukraine is considered the most heavily mined country in the world. According to the United Nations and various humanitarian demining agencies, nearly one-third of Ukraine’s territory is potentially contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance. Some estimates suggest it could take up to 30 years to completely clear the country of such hazards. Liberated areas in the eastern and southern fronts, including Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, remain particularly dangerous.

Ukrainian media outlets have reported that many towns and villages recaptured from Russian forces since 2022 are littered with mines, some planted by retreating Russian troops, others deployed defensively by Ukrainian forces in anticipation of further assaults.

Baltic and Nordic states abandoning the treaty

Ukraine’s announcement follows a growing regional shift among countries bordering Russia. Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have all either exited or signaled their intention to exit the Ottawa Convention, citing rising concerns over Russian aggression and the need for parity in defensive capabilities.

These decisions have alarmed some humanitarian groups and arms control advocates, who argue that loosening restrictions on landmines sets a dangerous precedent. But in capitals across Eastern Europe, the calculus is changing as Russia’s military intensifies its pressure across the frontlines.

In recent months, Russia has launched a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine, capitalizing on superior manpower and heavy artillery to inch forward in Donetsk and Luhansk. Reports from the battlefield suggest that Russian forces are heavily reliant on landmines to consolidate gains and slow Ukrainian counteroffensives.

Facing this tactical reality, Ukraine’s leadership believes it can no longer abide by limitations that its adversary does not respect. The sentiment echoes across ministries and military ranks in Kyiv: without equal capability, Ukraine risks falling further behind.

International Reaction

The international community has yet to issue a unified response to Ukraine’s intended withdrawal. NATO has not made an official comment, but analysts suggest that Kyiv’s shift will likely be tolerated, if not quietly endorsed, by its Western partners, especially those that have made similar moves themselves.

From a legal standpoint, the Ottawa Convention allows for withdrawals, provided a state party gives written notice to the United Nations Secretary-General. The withdrawal takes effect six months after the notice is received. During that period, the withdrawing country must continue to uphold its treaty obligations.

While humanitarian groups may raise concerns about civilian safety, Ukrainian officials argue that it is Russia’s disregard for international norms that has driven Kyiv to recalibrate its own rules of engagement.

For Ukraine, the next steps will unfold in parliament, where debate is expected to focus on balancing military necessity with international law and public perception. If approved, Ukraine will formally join the growing list of countries along Russia’s borders that have discarded the Ottawa framework in favor of a more flexible defense posture.

As the war grinds into its fourth year with no end in sight, Zelenskyy’s decision is emblematic of a broader transformation in Ukraine’s defense doctrine, one increasingly shaped not by Western ideals but by the brutal pragmatism of survival in a war of attrition.