Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Tsunami waves reach Hawaii, calls for emergency measures to protect lives and property.
NHK: Japan records 1.3-meter tsunami.
Russian mayor of northern Kuril Islands says 'everyone' on tsunami-hit islands evacuated.
Israeli media: Take-offs and landings halted at Ben Gurion Airport.
Israeli media: Air raid sirens sound in the central region after a missile was identified from Yemen.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 3 families were wiped out from the civil registry due to the occupation's massacre in Nuseirat
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 women and 12 children were killed in the Israeli occupation's massacre in the new camp in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip
10-year-old Palestinian child Nour Abu Sala'a was killed by malnutrition due to the Israeli occupation's siege on the Gaza Strip
Trump says a ceasefire in Gaza is 'possible'
European Union commissioners will discuss a proposal to partially suspend Israeli participation in the EU's Horizon research program: Reuters

Ukraine moves to exit landmine ban citing defense priorities

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 29 Jun 2025 23:19
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

Ukraine's exit from the treaty must be ratified by parliament and formally submitted to the United Nations.

Listen
  • x
  • ap
    FILE - In this photo provided by Ukraine's 24th Mechanised Brigade press service, servicemen of the 24th Mechanised Brigade install anti-tank landmines and non explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar town in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Oct. 30, 2024 (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP, File)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has formally launched the process of withdrawing Ukraine from the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, according to a decree issued Sunday.

Zelensky claimed the move was necessary due to Russia's alleged use of mines in civilian areas. However, critics argue this is a political maneuver aimed at normalizing Ukraine's increasing militarization, even at the expense of civilian safety. Rather than protecting communities, the withdrawal is viewed as another step toward abandoning international humanitarian norms in favor of unrestrained warfare.

The Ottawa Convention has been ratified by over 160 countries. Notably, Russia and the United States are not signatories. Yet even outside the treaty, Russia has consistently maintained that its military actions prioritize strategic objectives and seek to avoid unnecessary civilian harm, unlike Ukraine, which has openly embraced tactics involving indiscriminate weapons.

Ukraine's exit is not immediate. It must be ratified by parliament and formally submitted to the United Nations. Under the treaty's provisions, withdrawal takes effect six months after notification unless the country is at war, meaning Ukraine's departure may be deferred until hostilities end.

"We are taking this political step and thus sending a signal to all our partners on what to focus on," Zelensky said, revealing the overtly strategic nature of the move rather than any immediate humanitarian concern.

Related News

Biden authorizes use of anti-personnel mines in Ukraine: US official

Cambodia school holds thousands of war-era explosives

Defense or destruction?

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry justified the decision as "difficult but necessary," claiming it was meant to defend the country. But many see this as a disturbing precedent: a war-torn state, backed by NATO, openly discarding global efforts to curb weapons that disproportionately harm civilians. Indeed, Ukraine's position aligns with growing militarist posturing among several NATO members. Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all signaled similar shifts in military policy, suggesting that Western powers are steadily eroding international arms control norms under the guise of "defense."

Humanitarian organizations echoed this alarm. Nobel Peace laureate Jody Williams described Ukraine's withdrawal as "shocking," warning that it threatens long-standing protections for civilians. Experts in mine action stress that Ukraine is already among the most heavily mined countries in the world. As of mid-2023, roughly 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory were contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Between 2014 and 2023, humanitarian monitors documented nearly 300 civilian deaths and over 600 injuries from such weapons.

In November 2024, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed deep concern over a "renewed threat" from anti-personnel landmines. Speaking at a conference in Cambodia on the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty just days after the US announced it would supply such mines to Ukraine, Guterres warned that such moves endanger decades of progress. His remarks, delivered by UN Under-Secretary-General Armida Alisjahbana, urged signatories, including Ukraine, to uphold their treaty obligations.

Read more: Ukrainian civilians probable victims of Biden's landmine approval: RS

Rather than addressing this crisis, Ukrainian authorities appear committed to expanding the use of landmines. Recent reports confirm Kiev has deployed US-supplied "non-persistent" anti-personnel mines, echoing the Biden administration's earlier controversial decision to send cluster munitions. Despite Pentagon claims that these mines pose limited danger to civilians, watchdog groups like Responsible Spacecraft contend otherwise, pointing to long-term civilian harm and minimal military gain.

Both Ukrainian and Russian forces have used notorious models such as the Soviet-designed PFM-1 "butterfly" mines and the POM-3 bounding mines, raising further concern. Experts warn that the introduction of more landmines into an already saturated landscape will only prolong suffering, delay reconstruction, and expose future generations to lethal hazards long after the fighting stops.

  • landmines
  • Ukraine
  • Ukraine war
  • Ottawa Convention
  • militarization
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Given ample indications Epstein was collating sexual blackmail material on powerful figures for intelligence agencies, comments made by Mirage's cofounder to Ynet take on a chilling character. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Zionist spies innovate AI sexual blackmail tech

  • Analysis
  • 27 Jul 2025
The right wing love affair with Zionism has ended

The right wing love affair with Zionism has ended

  • Opinion
  • 23 Jul 2025
Houthi supporters display a giant Palestinian flag during a weekly anti-US and anti-'Israel' rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday March, 28, 2025 (AP)

Open borders so Yemenis march by hundreds of thousands: Al-Houthi

  • Politics
  • 24 Jul 2025
Lebanese Freedom Fighter Georges Abdallah, who was serving a life in Paris, speaks to supporters upon his arrival at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, July 25, 2025 (AP)

With resistance, road home is never lost: Georges Abdallah from Beirut

  • Politics
  • 25 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Lawmakers attend a session of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in occupied al-Quds, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Tensions erupt between Smotrich and army chief over Gaza strategy

The spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, giving a statement on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)
Politics

Yemen targets Ben Gurion Airport in defense of Gaza

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar arrives for the EU-Southern Neighbourhood ministerial meeting at the EU Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP)
Politics

'Israel' summons Dutch ambassador over Amsterdam's ban on ministers

Palestinians collect aid that landed in the Mediterranean Sea after being airdropped over central Gaza, at the shore of Zawaida, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, July 29, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli plans to annex Gaza illegal under international law: Norway

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS