The Finnish Parliament has approved the decision to withdraw from the treaty banning the use of antipersonnel landmines, a pact the country joined in 2012. This action places Finland alongside several neighboring nations within NATO.
According to reports, the withdrawal will take effect six months after Finland formally notifies the United Nations of its decision. The Finnish military has expressed its belief that there is a need for landmines to ensure the nation’s defense.
Similar withdrawals have already been undertaken by the Baltic States—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—as well as Poland. These countries are part of the group that did not sign the Ottawa Treaty, which came into effect in March 1999 and prohibits the use, storage, production, and transfer of landmines.