5 EU countries withdraw from convention to ban antibarzone mines

Russian threat Five European countries needed to leave the Ottawa Agreement and reuse Antibarsone tunnels To protect their boundaries. The Russia war in Ukraine These weapons, which were banned by the international community in 1997, have led to the reconstruction of their position before, and the consequences mainly affect the public and the children, especially children.

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland Conference on Antiburzone Mines to ProhibitIt prohibits the use, storage, production and transmission of antibarsone mines.

He Orata agreement It was signed in 1997 and came into effect in 1999. Currently, 164 countries have signed the agreement: all EU member states, most African, Asian and American countries. Russia, China, India, the United States and Israel They appear among those who have not signed the conference.

Las 33 states Those who have not signed the Ottawa Agreement are in addition to China, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

According to the report Tracking of landscape tunnels.

Russia Has widely used them in the invasion of Ukraine, which creates the country The most of the world’s most. Antiburzone tunnels are often used by stateless armed groups. It happened in 2024 Columbia, Gaza, India, Myanmar and PakistanProbably Benan, Burkina Faso, Cameron, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. At least 58 countries The world is presently Antiburzone has been affected by tunnels.

The past gun?

“We know that more than 80% of the victims of the Antibarsone tunnels The public, especially children“He said,” EuroNius, “Carbonier Gilles, vice president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.”

Antibarson considers mines “Weapons of the past”They were mainly killing civilians and not having military performance. “First, they usually damage the military side and their own soldiers or friendly forces. Secondly, their withdrawal is very expensive and it takes a long time,” he said Croatia has not yet retired the mines It was 35 years ago Balconic wars.

2024 Land Mining Monitor, Antibarzone mines occur 833 victims in 2023.

“I saw the first person who was injured by a land tunnel when I was nine years old and then I told hundreds of people,” he said, ‘EuroNius’ and remembers his past experiences Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Cambodia.

84% of the victims of antibarson tunnels

The main victims of the public –84% of all registered deathsAccording to statistics- since the tunnels are long after the conflict. “I have seen children in Afghanistan stepping in the mines It was placed by the Russians who abandoned the country 15 years ago, ”says Strata.

According to their experience, women and children are very vulnerable. “In a war economy, or what happens to the post -war, men are in front of them, or the wounded, they can no longer bring the bread home. So women and children feed the sheep.

“Antiburzone is more obvious to prohibit tunnels“, He says, he remembers Geneva contracts in EU law and humanitarian law.” But now, in Europe, we are going to a slippery slope. “

Plans of EU countries

Ministers of Defense Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland Released a joint statement to explain their recommendation to quit Orata agreementCited in the Baltic region as “basically the worsening security situation.”

Estonia’s Ministry of Defense, which was contacted, announced that “there is currently no plans to create, save or use antibiotic tunnels.” However, by this decision, the four Baltic countries send a clear message that they write in the report: “Our countries can be prepared and used all Measures necessary to protect our territory Our freedom. “

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Finland’s Defense Minister explained: “Retired from the Ottawa Agreement will give us the opportunity to prepare changes in the environment In the most versatile way of protection“.

The Latvia government was still blunt in response to ‘Euronaws’: “Ukraine’s war, shows that the death of security forces will increase by delaying the guided antibacterial tunnels, other mines and weapons organizations. Stop Russian massive military movements“.

Latvian parliament will take the final decision

Latvian parliament will make a final decision on whether the country should withdraw from the Ottawa Agreement and Latvia is not planned At this time Produce or replace antibarzone tunnels Not guided to Ukraine.

Rather, the use of land mines has not been rejected: “In our opinion, Antiburzone tunnels can be used.

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Although the European Union’s position is very clear in this case, “Antibarson mines are ubiquitous, and at any time, is completely unacceptable to any actor,” the official document on the ban on antibacterial mines adopted in 2024.

Authority He avoided condemning these results

During a press conference he asked ‘EuroNius’, the European Commission He avoided condemning the results of five member states. “We have contributed more than 2023 to 174 million to humanitarian action against mines 97 million euros Particularly Mining withdrawal“The Commission spokesman recalled Oun without commenting on the withdrawal plans.

This issue is included in the annual European parliamentary report “Use of General Security and Security Policy”Voted in Strasburg in April. A correction was rejected by the hand that “seriously condemning the purpose of some member states to quit the 1997 agreement”. Another movement, awarded by the European popular party and Recognized with 431 votes in favorBasically justifies the actions taken by Baltic countries Crime to Russia.

Negative signal to countriesThey are in the armed conflict

But Gillus Carbaniere said that Russian threats did not justify that the EU was responding the same way. “International Humanitarian Law and Humanitarian Reduction Agreements apply accurately in exceptional circumstances of arms conflict, in bad situations. And international humanitarian law It is not based on mutualBecause this will trigger a dangerous descending cycle, ”he said.

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Such activities by EU countries may have a domino effect, sending A negative signal for those countriesThey are in the armed conflict But they are still connected to the convention. “They can say: ‘Why should we continue to follow that deal?”