“Irrelevant obligations”: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention
Not being a party to the Ottawa Convention, Russia is widely using anti-personnel mines in its war against Ukraine. This creates an asymmetric advantage for the enemy on the front.
This is stated in a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The department emphasized that at the time of signing, in 2005, similar circumstances did not exist and could not have been foreseen.
Yes, Ukraine found itself in a situation that limits its right to self-defense.
The Foreign Ministry added that Ukraine is not the only one facing a corresponding choice. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced a number of countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Finland, to make a decision and withdraw from the Ottawa Convention. As noted, with the accession of Ukraine and these states, the situation with regional security has significantly worsened.
“Given the unconditional priority of defending our state from harsh Russian aggression, our land from occupation, and our people from terrible Russian atrocities, Ukraine has made a difficult but necessary political decision to cease fulfilling irrelevant obligations under the Ottawa Convention,” the Foreign Ministry informed.
The department is convinced that this step is necessary and appropriate to the level of threats.
“In conditions when Russia is committing genocide with the aim of destroying Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation, Ukraine is forced to give absolute priority to the security of its citizens and the defense of its state. This applies, in particular, to the participation of our state in international legal documents and mechanisms,” the ministry concluded.
As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree that puts into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention , an international agreement that prohibits the use, production, and storage of anti-personnel mines.
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