Poland and the Baltic republics have announced plans to withdraw from a major international treaty outlawing anti-personnel landmines

In a joint statement issued today, the defence ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia say they “unanimously recommend withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention,” which took effect in 1999.

Poland and three Baltic states announced their intention to quit a treaty banning antipersonnel mines to give their forces a critical defensive edge amid a "fundamental" deterioration in their security due to Russia.