Ukraine is moving forward with its exit from the Ottawa Convention, a landmark international treaty that prohibits the use, production, and stockpiling of anti-personnel landmines.
According to Ukrainian MP and Secretary of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Roman Kostenko, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree to implement the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to leave the treaty.
The announcement was made on June 29, though the official decree has not yet been published on the presidential website.
Kostenko stated that the decision reflects the realities of the ongoing war and noted that Russia, which is not a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, continues to use landmines extensively against Ukrainian military personnel and civilians.
“The enemy does not follow the rules. We cannot remain constrained by agreements that our adversary ignores,” Kostenko said.
The next step, according to Kostenko, is for Ukraine’s parliament to formally adopt legislation confirming the country’s withdrawal.
Ukraine signed the Ottawa Convention in 1999 and ratified it in 2005. At the time of signing, Ukraine held one of the world’s largest stockpiles of anti-personnel mines—surpassed only by China, Russia, the US, and Pakistan, none of which are parties to the treaty.
The convention, which entered into force in 1999, has been ratified by over 160 countries. It obligates signatories to never use, produce, acquire, or transfer anti-personnel mines and to eliminate existing stockpiles and clear mined areas.
Ukraine’s move follows similar decisions by several regional allies. In recent months, Lithuania, Finland, and Poland have each approved legislation to withdraw from the convention. In March 2025, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland jointly announced plans to leave the treaty.
