Finland, Parliament approves withdraw from landmine ban treaty

Following an announcement in early April, the Finnish Parliament has approved the government’s proposal to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning the use and production of landmines. The decision was widely supported by important members of the government and Parliament. The bill passed with 157 votes in favor and 18 against, with no abstentions and 24 members absent. This initiative is part of a shift in Finland’s security policy in response to Russia’s aggression on Ukraine and a rapidly deteriorating security environment. Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen stated that landmines are a defensive weapon particularly suited to Finland’s wide and broken terrain. Among the few dissenters are government MP Eva Biaudet of the Swedish People’s Party and Veronika Honkasalo of the Left Alliance, who criticized the speed of the decision and warned of the impact this initiative might have on global disarmament efforts.