Volodymyr Zelenskyi signed a decree on the withdrawal of Ukraine from the Ottawa Convention on the ban on anti-personnel mines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the full-scale invasion of Russia created an “unequal situation” for Ukraine, since the Russian Federation did not join this international agreement. The relevant decree made public on the website of the head of state.
The decree enters into force from the moment of its publication and implements the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine dated June 29, 2025 “On Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction of September 18, 1997.”
“I was just informed that the President of Ukraine signed the Decree, which implemented the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on the withdrawal of our country from the Ottawa Convention – an international treaty that prohibits the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines.” — noted Roman Kostenko, secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence.
According to him, such a decision is dictated by the realities of war, because Russia is not a party to the convention and actively uses mines against both military and civilians.
“We cannot remain bound in conditions where the enemy has no restraints.” – explained the people’s deputy.
It is expected that this decision will be considered in the Verkhovna Rada. According to Kostenko, its legislative consolidation will finally return to Ukraine the opportunity to fully defend its own territory.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminded that Ukraine ratified the Ottawa Convention in 2005 and since that time has been “faithfully fulfilling its provisions.” On the other hand, Russia, not joining the treaty, has been actively using anti-personnel mines as a military tactic since 2014.
“Thus, Ukraine found itself in an unequal and unfair situation, which limits its right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.”, the ministry said in a statement.
It is also emphasized that the massive use of mines by Russia from 2022 has created an “asymmetric advantage” for it, which could not have been foreseen at the time of the ratification of the agreement.
Similar steps were taken by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland, which also started the process of withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, having revised their position due to the aggression of the Russian Federation. The Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and provides for their destruction, entered into force in 1999.
