Poland’s parliament voted on Wednesday to initiate withdrawal from the 1997 Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, marking a historic reversal of its decades-long stance on landmine use and signaling a broader shift in regional defense policy across NATO’s eastern flank.
The Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, approved the government-backed legislation with 413 votes in favor, 15 against, and 3 abstentions. The bill now moves to the Senate, and if passed there, it will require the president’s signature before Poland formally notifies the United Nations of its withdrawal. According to treaty rules, Poland will officially cease to be bound by the convention six months after the UN receives notification.
The decision follows months of escalating rhetoric from Polish and Baltic leaders about the growing threat posed by Russia and Belarus. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland could no longer afford to be “bound by any straitjacket that would make it impossible to defend our homeland.”
Poland is not alone. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland have all announced plans to exit the Ottawa Treaty in recent months. Latvia began its withdrawal in April, Lithuania followed in May, and Estonia moved forward earlier this June. Finland’s parliament voted to do the same last week, citing similar strategic concerns.
These countries argue that the post-Cold War security assumptions that guided the treaty’s creation no longer reflect present-day realities. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO’s eastern members have ramped up their defense spending and revised their military doctrines. Anti-personnel landmines, once universally condemned as indiscriminate weapons, are now being reconsidered as cost-effective tools for territorial defense.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from humanitarian organizations and legal experts. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that “reintroducing anti-personnel mines is a deeply troubling step backward.” Human Rights Watch issued a statement condemning the vote, warning that it would likely put civilian lives at risk. Over 100 Nobel Peace Prize laureates also called on Poland and its neighbors to reconsider, urging them not to undermine a global norm that has saved countless lives and limbs.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern that Poland’s departure from the treaty could unravel decades of progress in arms control and humanitarian protection.
Despite these warnings, Polish defense officials appear committed to the course. While Poland currently produces only anti-tank mines through companies such as Belma, defense analysts suggest that production of anti-personnel mines could resume once the legal framework is in place. Government officials have not confirmed any production plans, but have stressed that all future use would comply with the Geneva Conventions and other applicable international laws.
The United States, which has not ratified the Ottawa Treaty, has expressed muted concern. American forces have historically relied on a narrow exception policy regarding mines and may face logistical and operational questions as Poland and other NATO allies reintroduce them into their arsenals. The move is expected to raise difficult issues around interoperability, demining obligations, and humanitarian risk mitigation within the alliance.
