**Ukraine Suspends Participation in Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty**
In a move that has significant implications for the country’s defense strategy, Ukraine’s parliament has passed a bill suspending its participation in the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines. The decision was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, with 305 deputies voting in favor and 40 abstaining.
This development follows President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decree to withdraw from the treaty on June 29. The move is seen as a response to Russia’s use of anti-personnel mines in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. As Zelensky pointed out, Russia has never been a party to this convention and has used these mines “extremely cynically” in their war against Ukraine.
**Russia’s Use of Anti-Personnel Mines**
Anti-personnel landmines are scattered explosives that can cause serious injury or death long after the conflict is over. The Ottawa Convention, signed by over 160 countries in 1997, bans the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of these mines. However, Russia has consistently flouted this treaty, using more than a dozen variants of anti-personnel mines since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The consequences of these mines are devastating. Soldiers and civilians often lose their feet or limbs due to detonations, making it extremely difficult and dangerous to clear mined territories. In fact, Human Rights Watch has reported that territories liberated by Ukraine since 2022 have been heavily covered with mines.
**Ukraine’s New Defense Strategy**
The suspension of Ukraine’s participation in the Ottawa Convention is a significant shift in defense policy. It follows the Baltic states and Poland’s move to withdraw from this treaty earlier this year, highlighting how countries near Ukraine are preparing for a potential war in Europe. The Biden administration has also approved the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, a surprise move that angered Moscow.
In light of Russia’s continued use of these banned weapons, it is clear that Ukraine needs to adapt its defense strategy to counter this threat. By suspending its participation in the Ottawa Convention, Ukraine can now produce and stockpile anti-personnel mines for its own military use. This decision marks a major turning point in Ukraine’s approach to self-defense and may have far-reaching implications for the region.
**The Road Ahead**
As we look ahead, it is essential to recognize that this move has significant human rights implications. While the use of anti-personnel mines may be seen as a necessary response to Russia’s actions, it raises concerns about the potential harm these mines could cause to civilians and soldiers alike. The impact on Ukraine’s humanitarian situation will likely be severe.
The international community must now consider how to respond to this development. Will other countries follow suit, withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention in light of Russia’s actions? How will this decision affect the global effort to ban anti-personnel mines?
One thing is certain: the conflict in Ukraine has reached a new level of complexity, and the world will be watching as this situation unfolds.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com
