Russia's neighboring countries raise land mines bans - outrage grows

Russia's neighboring countries raise land mines bans - outrage grows

Five European countries that border on Russia have decided to leave the international contract for the use of Landminen Justify this with the growing threat from Moscow. The countries of Finland, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have taken steps to get out of the ottawa contract that prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines that are designed to kill or mutilate people if you step on them.

warnings and setbacks

These developments have triggered concerns with activists who consider the reintroduction of these weapons as worrying step backwards. Landmins have killed or mutilated tens of thousands of civilians worldwide and can contaminate an area for decades after the end of the war. The contract signed in 1997 also prohibits the production and storage of mines and is considered part of a series of agreements on global disarmament. Since then, he has been attributed to the fact that he has contributed significantly to reducing the damage caused by land mines.

reactions to the contractuala

According to Finland's decision to leave the contract, the human rights organization Amnesty International warned that the Nordic nation endanger civil life, and described this as a "worrying step back". The decision "goes against decades of progress in the ban on production, transmission and use of such indiscriminately," said the NGO.

strategic considerations of the affected countries

At the beginning of this year, the contract had 165 Member States. Nevertheless, large powers such as Russia, China, India, Pakistan and the United States never signed the contract. In a joint statement in March, Poland and the three Baltic states announced their withdrawal and demanded a re -evaluation of which weapons are acceptable from the point of view of Russia's aggression.

The countries emphasized that they would have to give their armed forces more "flexibility and scope for decision" in order to strengthen the defense of the eastern NATO flanks. In April Latvia became the first country to formally performed the contract after the parliament supported the proposal. This means that after a six -month transition period, Riga can start accumulating land mines. Finland also announced that Latvia's decision.

The security policy situation in Europe

Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Russia is a long -term danger to all of Europe. "The resignation from the Ottawa Treaty will give us the opportunity to prepare us for the changes in the security environment more versely," he said. These announcements come at a time when US President Donald Trump increases the efforts to end the war in Ukraine, which feeds fears in the neighboring countries that Moscow could arm themselves up and be targeted.

Keir Giles, a senior consultant at Chatham House, believes that if and when the long -term conflict in Ukraine ends, Moscow will be ready to target his next goal. "Nobody doubts that Russia is looking for further opportunities to achieve their goals in Europe," said Giles.

effectiveness of landmines

The military advantages of using land mines are clear, according to Giles. The underground explosives could slow down an invasion by redirecting or stopping incoming troops into less defense areas while trying to break through the suspended areas. They can be particularly advantageous for countries that have to defend themselves against an army with larger manpower. "They are an extremely effective means of reinforcing the defense forces of a country that is inferior to numbers," he said.

He believes that the five countries support the withdrawal from the contract on how effective the weapons in the Ukrainian conflict were in order to deter powers. He emphasized that western countries would not use country mines in the same way as the Russian armed forces.

The humanitarian effects

The vast majority of the victims associated with land mines are civilians. According to the UN estimates, Ukraine is the strongest land in the world contaminated with mines. The Ukrainian government estimates that the Russian armed forces have littered 174,000 square kilometers of the Ukrainian territory with land mines and explosives. This means that civilians who return to former front areas are exposed to a constant risk.

"When land is contaminated by explosive material nationwide, this creates an" invisible threat "in the consciousness of the people", warned the Humanity & Inclusion organization in a report on the use of landmine in Ukraine.

personal fates and the demand for responsibility

Alma Taslidžan, which was driven out of Bosnia during the war in the early 90s, described the decision of the five countries to leave the contract as "absurd" and "the worst thing that can happen to a contract". She emphasizes that the arguments for the ban on landmines have not changed since the Ottawa contract was created: "As soon as it is in the ground, it is a danger."

Nevertheless, the reality in which Europe is today is new and questioned earlier red lines. Giles sees the latest developments in recognition of the fact that contracts on landmines were "an act of idealism that has been too optimistic since then".