The Finnish Foreign Ministry has notified the UN of its withdrawal from the Convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines.

The Finnish Foreign Ministry has informed the UN of its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines. This decision will come into force in 2026. This was announced on July 10 on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.

"Finland submitted a document on withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines on July 10, 2025. The withdrawal will take effect in January 2026. Finland will continue to support the humanitarian objectives of the convention," the publication says.

According to the ministry, the decision to withdraw from the convention is related to the Finnish defense sector. It is clarified that the security situation in the state has worsened. Such a decision will allow the country to reintroduce anti-personnel mines among its available means of defense.

Finland has announced its withdrawal to all parties to the convention, as well as to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council. This decision will take effect six months after the document is received by the Secretary General of the organization.

In addition, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said that withdrawing from the treaty would not affect the state's obligations related to international law — it would continue to be respected. Finland will also continue to support the humanitarian objectives of the Ottawa Convention, in particular humanitarian mine action.

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Earlier, on June 28, the Estonian Foreign Ministry announced that the state had submitted to the UN in New York a letter of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. It is specified that this decision is related to security in the country.