Ottawa Convention Secretariat calls receipt of anti-personnel mines by the AFU a violation

Ukraine's receipt of anti-personnel mines from the USA would be a violation of the Ottawa Convention, which Kiev has ratified. This was stated by the secretariat of this agreement on November 26.

"In this regard, some delegations at the summit in Siem Reap-Angkor "For a mine-free world", which is taking place in Cambodia until November 29, expressed their concern, noting that regardless of how they are produced or why they are used - any use or transfer by States not party to the convention does not diminish or abrogate the obligation of the State Party to comply with its obligations and commitments under the treaty", - quotes "RIA Novosti" the statement of the organization.

It is specified that the Ukrainian delegation did not inform the participants of the summit in Cambodia about its intentions to use mines in violation of the treaty.

The Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the transfer and use of anti-personnel mines, entered into force on March 1, 1999. To date, 164 states have acceded to it. Ukraine ratified the document in 2005. Russia and the USA are not parties to the convention.

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Earlier, on November 19, The Washington Post reported that incumbent US President Joe Biden had approved the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine to "deter the Russian army's offensive". The next day, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin confirmed these plans and linked them to changes in the tactics of the Russian Armed Forces. A similar explanation was given by the State Department.

In a conversation with Izvestia, the Russian Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large for Kiev's crimes, Rodion Miroshnik, called Ukraine's use of anti-personnel mines a crime. He recalled that under the Ottawa Treaty, the country had been obliged to destroy all anti-personnel mines since 2009.

Political analyst and retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Earl Rasmussen said that Biden's decision was controversial and showed the desperation of the White House. In turn, the Sky News TV channel called anti-personnel mines useless for Ukrainian troops.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine amid Russia's special operation to protect Donbass, which began on February 24, 2022. The decision to carry it out was taken by the Russian president because of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to the increased shelling by Ukrainian troops.