Europa sieht Landminen als Verteidigung gegen Putin aus

Britain and its European allies must urgently regain the ability to deploy [landmines](https://inews.co.uk/news/russia-ukraine-war-bomb-experts-step-up-mission-clear-landmines-farms-tackle-global-food-crisis-1690436?ico=in-line_link) if they are to be able to counter the “terrifying” threat posed by [Russia](https://inews.co.uk/topic/russia?ico=in-line_link), experts have warned.

Anti-personnel mines, which are responsible for killing and maiming thousands of civilians a year after being left behind in conflict zones, are widely banned under the 26-year-old [Ottawa Convention](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/britain-triple-spending-eradicating-global-scourge-landmines-57073?ico=in-line_link) – an agreement signed by 164 nations, including the UK and all NATO countries apart from America.

Consequently, nearly every Western country has destroyed its stocks and not manufactured mines for years.

But cracks in the international consensus over the weapons are beginning to emerge amid claims that new technology can make mines safer to use and growing concern that European militaries would struggle to counter Vladimir Putin’s willingness to pour[ manpower and equipment into further conflicts](https://inews.co.uk/topic/vladimir-putin?ico=in-line_link).

[Finland](https://inews.co.uk/topic/finland?ico=in-line_link), a new member of Nato in the wake of the [Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine](https://inews.co.uk/news/british-peacekeepers-ukraine-decades-ex-nato-chief-3563690?ico=in-line_link), announced in December that it was considering pulling out of the Ottawa treaty after Moscow, which is not a signatory, planted millions of mines in its ongoing war with Kyiv.

The Scandinavian country, which has an 800-mile border with Russia, said the move should be seen as “defensive”. Leaders in the neighbouring Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – have also mooted returning to the use of anti-personnel mines, with senior figures in Estonia floating the idea of leaving the Ottawa ban.

Campaigners told *The i Paper* that there was no acceptable case for the reintroduction of landmines because of “their massive humanitarian impact”.

But leading defence experts argue European countries including Britain may soon be forced to follow Finland and the Baltic countries as the continent contemplates a future where it will have to defend itself as Donald Trump rips up the post-war security apparatus and withdraws US support for Ukraine.

A report examining the latest implications of the Ukraine conflict by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) think-tank last month recommended that European Nato members “should regenerate the ability to deploy [anti-tank] and [anti-personnel] mines. The study warned that unless European militaries regain the ability to stock and deploy mines in a future land war they “risk lacking… the required lethality to fight effectively”.

Mines are never good for anyone. Full stop. Whoever is proposing this must be crazy.