Statement of the MFA of Ukraine on the Decision to Withdraw from the Ottawa Convention

In 2005, Ukraine ratified the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and Their Destruction, commonly known as the Ottawa Convention, and since then has faithfully fulfilled its obligations.

At the same time, the Russian Federation, not being a party to the Ottawa Convention, launched an armed aggression against Ukraine and, since 2014, has extensively used anti-personnel mines as a method of warfare. Since 2022, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of our state, its mass use of such means has created an asymmetric advantage for the aggressor.

We  emphasize that at the time of Ukraine’s signing and ratification of the Ottawa Convention, such circumstances did not exist and could not have been foreseen.

As a result, Ukraine has found itself in an unequal and unjust situation that restricts its right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

Ukraine is not alone in facing the difficult choice between fulfilling obligations under the Ottawa Convention and ensuring the effective defense of its Homeland from a ruthless aggressor that disregards all norms of international law.

The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has already made several states — Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and Finland — reassess their positions and adopt a joint political decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention.

The international community must understand that the regional security situation has significantly deteriorated since Ukraine and these states joined the Ottawa Convention.

Therefore, in light of the overriding priority to defend our states from brutal Russian aggression, to protect our land from occupation, and our people from horrific Russian atrocities, Ukraine has made the difficult but necessary political decision to stop the implementation of irrelevant obligations under the Ottawa Convention. We are convinced that this step is both necessary and proportionate to the level of threats, as it concerns the survival and preservation of Ukraine as a sovereign, independent, and free state.

In the context of Russia’s ongoing genocide aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation, Ukraine is compelled to give unconditional priority to the security of its citizens and the defense of the state. This applies, in particular, to our state’s participation in international legal instruments and mechanisms.