NATO member countries Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia announced on the 18th that they plan to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits anti personnel landmines, due to military threats from neighboring Russia. The treaty was adopted in 1997 and has been ratified or agreed upon by over 160 countries, but Russia has not ratified it. Withdrawing the treaty will enable Poland and the Baltic States to resume stockpiling landmines. In a joint statement, the defense ministers of the four countries said, "The military threats faced by NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased." They stated, "Through this decision, we have conveyed a clear message: we are prepared and able to take all necessary measures to defend our security needs." Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovil Shakariene said in another statement that the planned withdrawal is to effectively protect the borders of the region. According to reports, Finland stated in December last year that it was also considering withdrawing from the international convention due to Russia's use of landmines in Ukraine. (New Society)