Zelensky Initiates Ukraines Exit from Anti-Landmine Pact Amid Ongoing Conflict

On Sunday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky enacted a decree signaling the country’s intention to exit the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines. This information was disclosed through a document available on his official website.

The Ottawa Treaty prohibits its signatories from acquiring, manufacturing, stockpiling, or deploying anti-personnel mines, which are intended to be concealed underground and often lead to serious injuries or fatalities for those who encounter them. Humanitarian organizations highlight the enduring dangers posed by unexploded mines to civilians.

Currently, over 160 nations and territories adhere to the Ottawa Convention, while neither the United States nor Russia are signatories.

Zelensky stated, «I hereby authorize… the implementation of the decision made by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine on June 29, 2025, regarding Ukraine’s exit from this significant convention.»

For this decision to be official, it needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament and reported to the United Nations.

In light of Russia’s invasion, the Ukrainian foreign ministry expressed that «the security of our citizens and the defense of the state must take precedence.» They described the choice to withdraw as «difficult yet necessary,» aiming to «defend our territory from occupation and protect our people from the brutal actions of Russia.»

A Ukrainian legislator, Roman Kostenko, remarked on social media, «This action has long been necessitated by the realities of war. Russia systematically employs mines against both our military and civilians. We cannot stay constrained by treaty obligations while our adversary faces none.»

This decision to withdraw from the treaty, occurring over three years into Moscow’s aggression, coincides with similar moves by Ukraine’s allies, including Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, all of which share borders with Russia.

In March, human rights organizations criticized these countries’ plans to exit from the convention.