Poland quits the Ottawa Treaty — key reasons and consequences

Poland has taken a step towards changing its defense policy — the Sejm has voted to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use, production, and distribution of anti-personnel mines.

RMF24 writes about it.

Withdrawal from the Treaty

The decision to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Treaty was supported by 413 MPs, with 15 opposed and three abstentions.

Prior to the vote, the Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that the decision was of fundamental importance for the security of Poland and the entire region. He emphasized that Poland cannot afford to be limited by international obligations that do not meet modern challenges.

"Poland cannot be limited by rules that prevent us from defending our country," the Minister said.

What is the Ottawa Treaty?

The document, known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, was adopted in September 1997 in Oslo and entered into force in 1999. The Treaty prohibits the use, production, transfer, or stockpiling of anti-personnel mines. To date, more than 160 countries have joined the Treaty, including most Western countries.

At the same time, some powerful military powers, including the United States, China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, have not become parties to the Treaty.

Poland signed the document in 1997, but officially ratified it only in 2012. According to the current version of the Treaty, the parties are obliged not only not to use mines, but also to completely destroy their existing arsenals.

Ukraine and the Treaty

Ukraine joined the Treaty in 1999, and the Verkhovna Rada ratified it in 2005. At that time, our country had one of the largest stockpiles of anti-personnel mines in the world, second only to the United States, Russia, China, and Pakistan. Like Poland, Ukraine is obliged to destroy these arsenals.

As a reminder, earlier, Lithuania also withdrew from the Ottawa Treaty.