Zelensky signs decree to withdraw from anti-mine convention

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on Sunday calling for Kiev to withdraw from the international convention banning anti-personnel mines, according to a document published by the presidency, after more than three years of Russian invasion.

The document indicates that the Ukrainian leader implemented the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, this Sunday, to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.

However, there are still several steps to be taken before an effective withdrawal, including the Ukrainian parliament having to vote in favor of the decision and then Kiev having to notify the UN.

The Mine Ban Convention, a treaty ratified by more than 30 countries with the aim of eliminating the acquisition, production, stockpiling and use of these weapons, is currently at risk due to the advancing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Other countries in the region, such as Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, are also seeking to withdraw from this convention to ensure the security of their borders against possible aggression.

These countries, which share a border with Russia and are members of NATO, insist that the convention limits their defense capabilities at a time of great geopolitical instability.

Also known as the Ottawa Treaty, more than 160 countries signed the agreement, which does not restrict the use of anti-tank mines, with their use being regulated by other international treaties.

Most African and Asian countries signed the agreement, although major powers such as Russia, China, India, the United States and Israel remained outside, a decision criticized on several occasions by human rights organizations.

More than 50 countries are affected by mines, with Ukraine at the top of the list.

Amnesty International has highlighted that these mines are devices that explode indiscriminately and inaccurately and are designed to detonate when someone approaches them, threatening civilian populations, including children.