Ottawa Treaty: why are Russia's neighbours leaving anti-landmine agreement?

Ukraine to follow Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as Nato looks to build a new ‘Iron Curtain' of millions of landmines

Photo collage of a tiny Vladimir Putin sitting on a mine fragment held by an Ukrainian deminer. In the background, there is a map of Ukraine covered in red blotches.
The treaty has been ratified by 160 countries, but not by the US, China or, crucially, Russia
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

"The war ends. The landmine goes on killing," said Jody Williams, who led the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, in her 1997 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

The Ottawa Treaty signed that year banned the use of anti-personnel landmines as well as the ability to "develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone, directly or indirectly, anti-personnel mines". It has since been ratified by 160 countries, but not by the US, China or, crucially, Russia.

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