Saturday, March 29, 2025
Five NATO nations are facing fierce backlash after announcing plans to pull out of a global treaty banning landmines, with Nobel peace prize laureate Jody Williams condemning the move as reckless and harmful.
Decades after world leaders vowed to eliminate landmines by 2025, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland say rising threats from Russia have forced a rethink. Rights groups warn the decision could undo decades of humanitarian progress.
The 1997 Ottawa Treaty dramatically slashed landmine casualties worldwide, cutting deaths and injuries from 25,000 a year to fewer than 4,000. But with five NATO countries set to withdraw, fears are growing that others may follow.
“This makes me want to scream,” said Williams, who co-founded the global landmine campaign. “Landmines don’t stop wars. They just maim your own people.”
Citing rising tensions with Russia and Belarus, Baltic states and Poland said their exits were necessary for national defense. Finland echoed their concerns.
Still, experts stress that landmines often endanger civilians far more than soldiers — with children making up nearly 40% of landmine victims worldwide.
For Williams, the exits are part of a bigger, troubling trend — a weakening commitment to the rules of war meant to protect civilians.
“If we let this happen,” she said, “we risk undoing everything we fought for.”
