**Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland Withdraw from Anti-Personnel Mine Treaty**
Four countries in Eastern Europe – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – have announced their intention to leave the Ottawa Convention. This international treaty bans the use, production, and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines.
The defense ministers of these countries said that the security situation in the region has become too unstable. They feel threatened by neighboring Russia and Belarus. The ministers want to take all necessary steps to protect their territories.
Even though they are leaving the treaty, the countries promise to follow international humanitarian law. This means they will try to protect civilians during armed conflicts.
The decision needs approval from the countries’ parliaments. Tensions between NATO and Russia have been rising since Moscow’s attack on Ukraine. Western leaders are worried about a potential large-scale war in Europe within the next five years.
This move shows that these front-line NATO states are preparing for possible aggression from Russia. It follows Lithuania’s withdrawal from a treaty banning cluster munitions, which were widely used during the Russia-Ukraine war.
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