On February 20, Poland will officially withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, production, storage, and transfer of anti-personnel mines, Polish Radio reports. The decision was made to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities.
Source: Gazeta.UA
Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, Deputy Chair of the parliamentary National Defense Committee, called the move correct, noting that Ukraine’s experience has shown the effectiveness of anti-personnel mines in deterring Russian advances at the start of the full-scale invasion.
She emphasized that mines are necessary for national security: “It was clear that in the event of any conflict, anti-personnel mines would appear on Polish territory anyway. The question was whether they would be Russian mines or our own as well.”
Kluzik-Rostkowska also stated that it is too early to discuss specific storage locations for the munitions, highlighting that proper personnel training is crucial.
The Ottawa Convention was adopted in Oslo on September 18, 1997, came into force in 1999, and has been joined by over 160 countries, including most Western nations.
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