When Russia is your neighbour: Finland considers lifting the ban on anti-personnel mines

Lepestok mine. Source: DRC

Finnish Defence Forces Commander Janne Jaakkola said they are thinking of collecting signatures for a proposal to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines.

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The initiators were MEP Mika Aaltola, former Defence Minister Jussi Niiniste, former Finnish Defence Force Commander Admiral Juhani Kaskela and several former diplomats. Interestingly, the statement was made public after the US decision to transfer anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.

"Circumstances have changed significantly since Finland abandoned anti-personnel mines and joined the Ottawa Convention in 2012," Jaakkola said.

Janne Jaakkola. Illustration: mtvuutiset

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo noted that the issue of banning anti-personnel mines will be considered after the presentation of the government's defence policy report, which is planned to be prepared by the end of 2024. Parliament will discuss this document at the spring session.

Janne Jaakkola suggested expanding the discussion to cover not only anti-personnel mines but also new defence technologies.

"I would discuss not only anti-personnel mines, but also all other options that could be useful for the development of Finnish security and defence, for example, as technology develops," he explained.

As a reminder, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin recently explained that the Biden administration's decision to transfer anti-personnel mines to Ukraine was due to a change in Russia's tactics at the front.

The White House has expressed concern about the intensification of Russian offensive actions in recent months and stressed the need to support Ukraine in deterring the occupiers' advance. And the Pentagon called the provision of anti-personnel mines one of the most effective ways to slow down the Russian offensive.

Source: MTV