Latvian lawmakers voted Wednesday to exit the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines, citing rising security threats linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
"Withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention will give our armed forces room for manoeuvre in the event of a military threat to use all possible means to defend our citizens," said Inara Murniece, chair of the foreign affairs committee, in a parliament statement. The move, backed by a strong majority, takes effect six months after formal UN notification.
More than 160 countries have signed the treaty, which bans the use, stockpiling, and production of anti-personnel mines. Russia and the US are not signatories. Latvia, along with Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland, announced plans last month to withdraw from the pact, arguing that "in light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia's aggression," stronger defense tools are needed.
