Reuters: Finland and Lithuania to resume production of anti-personnel mines

Brussels – As the Reuters news agency reported,  Lithuania and Finland are expected to start a national production of anti-personnel landmines next year to supply themselves and Ukraine, due to what they see as a military threat from Russia. The two countries, which border Russia, have announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use of these mines. Officials stated that production could start once the withdrawal is completed, which takes approximately six months.

 In this emerging arms race in Europe, three other NATO and EU states — Poland, Latvia, and Estonia — are also in the process of withdrawing from the treaty, citing primarily security concerns stemming from Russia. These three countries have not yet announced plans to begin production of anti-personnel mines. Still, officials in Poland and Latvia have indicated that they could start production quickly if needed, and Estonia considers them a possible future option.

“We are going to spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank mines, but also on anti-personnel mines. It will be a significant amount,” Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa told Reuters. 

It is also in line with the commitments to NATO that President Trump demanded, to increase spending to 5 percent of GDP. 

“Finland must, for security of supply, have its own (anti-landmines) production,” Heikki Autto, chairman of the Finnish Parliament’s Defense Committee, told Reuters: “They are a highly effective and very cost-efficient weapons system.”

 Finland could also supply landmines to Ukraine, he added.

 “It is not only right and our duty to support Ukraine, it is also important for Finland’s own security,” Autto said.