Poland Exits Ottawa Treaty, Eyes Mine Production

Poland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention formally took effect on February 20, 2026, ending its 14-year participation in the global ban on anti-personnel mines.

Warsaw submitted notification to the United Nations on August 20, 2025, triggering the mandatory six-month waiting period under Article 20 of the treaty.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and other officials confirmed around February 19–20 that the withdrawal had become effective.

Poland ratified the convention in 2012, becoming the last European Union member state to do so.

It had ceased production in the mid-1980s, halted exports by 1995, and destroyed more than 1 million anti-personnel mines by 2016.

The treaty—formally titled the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction—prohibits use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of such weapons.

The government has framed its decision as a response to deteriorating regional security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and perceived threats from Russia and Belarus along Poland’s eastern frontier.

Officials argue that remaining bound by the treaty created a “military asymmetry,” as non-signatories including Russia, the United States, and China face no comparable restrictions.

Poland’s eastern border stretches roughly 800 km, including frontiers with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.

The withdrawal aligns Warsaw with other NATO frontline states.

The Baltic countries have already completed their own exits, and Finland moved in the same direction around the same period. Among Russia’s European neighbors, Norway remains an exception in maintaining adherence.

With legal constraints lifted as of February 20, Poland can resume production, stockpiling, use, and potential transfer of anti-personnel mines.

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski stated in December 2025 that domestic production would restart for the first time since the Cold War.

State-owned defense supplier Belma has indicated it could scale output from approximately 100,000 mines per year to as many as 1.2 million annually, including anti-personnel types.

Officials have linked this ramp-up to the “East Shield” fortification program, designed to reinforce defenses along the eastern border.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk said on February 19 that Poland could lay anti-personnel mines within 48 hours if a threat emerged, adding that a new mine-laying system was being finalized.

Deployment is described by officials as defensive and deterrent rather than offensive, emphasizing readiness over immediate emplacement. There are also indications that Poland may consider transfers to partners, potentially including Ukraine, though no formal announcements have been made.

Humanitarian organizations, including the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, have condemned the move, warning that anti-personnel mines are inherently indiscriminate, pose long-term risks to civilians, and complicate post-conflict recovery.