In a significant shift in military policy, Lithuania has announced its withdrawal from an international convention banning cluster munitions, a move that reflects growing concerns over security in the region. The treaty, which has been signed by over a hundred nations, does not include several neighboring countries, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine. Cluster munitions are known for their ability to disperse small bombs over wide areas, posing long-term risks to civilians due to unexploded ordnance.
Following Lithuania’s lead, all three Baltic states—Latvia and Estonia—have also expressed their intention to exit the Ottawa Convention, a 1999 treaty that prohibits the use and storage of anti-personnel landmines. This treaty was designed to protect civilians from the dangers posed by landmines, which can remain buried and hazardous long after conflicts have ended.
In April, Finland joined this trend by announcing its own withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. The Finnish Ministry of Defense characterized landmines as effective tools for a military primarily composed of conscripts.
As Northern Europe grapples with escalating threats, governments are recognizing the urgent need for decisive action to bolster defense capabilities. This urgency is particularly relevant for civilian populations, who may face economic impacts and personal sacrifices as nations ramp up their military readiness.
In Lavoriškės, a village near the border with Belarus, a large sign installed by the mayor highlights the stark geographical realities: Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is 779 kilometers away, while Minsk, the capital of Belarus—described on the sign as “occupied by the Kremlin”—is just 187 kilometers distant.
The Lavoriškės border crossing was one of six that maintained connections between Lithuania and Belarus even amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine. However, as of March 2024, this crossing, along with three others, has been closed due to concerns over Belarusian espionage and smuggling operations that violate Western sanctions.
A recent report from the London-based think tank Policy Exchange critiques the Ottawa Convention as a relic of a bygone era when global conflict among major powers seemed unlikely. The report takes aim at past British government policies that underestimated military needs in favor of peacekeeping dreams. It also highlights a perceived hypocrisy among European nations that abandoned anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions while relying on the United States to maintain these weapons in its arsenal.
As tensions rise in Eastern Europe, Lithuania’s moves signal a broader shift in defense strategy across the region, prioritizing military preparedness in response to an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical landscape.
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