Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy is pulling his country out of an international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia’s actions on the battlefield are the reason Kyiv will no longer abide by the 1997 Ottawa Convention.
With the decree, Ukraine joins other countries near Russia that have withdrawn from the agreement or have begun the process, such as Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
“Russia has never been a party to this convention and uses anti-personnel mines with extreme cynicism,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. “This has long been a trademark of Russian killers: to destroy life by every means available.”
The Ottawa Convention bans the production, stockpiling, transfer or use of anti-personnel landmines because they could pose harm to civilians even after hostilities are ended. Ukraine was one of about 160 countries that agreed to the treaty.
Along with Russia, other countries that didn’t sign the landmine treaty include the United States, China, India and Pakistan.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Russia uses a variety of weapons to inflict suffering on the Ukrainian people, including chemical and ballistic weapons.
“Unfortunately, that is the reality,” he said. “We see how our neighbors in Europe are reacting to this threat.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said he was aware of the “complexities” involved in withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, especially during wartime.
“We are taking this political step and sending a signal by it to all our partners. This is where the attention must be focused,” he said. “This concerns all countries along Russia’s borders. It is anti-personnel mines that very often have no alternative as a tool for defense.”
