30/06/2025
Zelensky’s withdrawal from anti-personnel landmine treaty will haunt generations of Ukrainians
Landmines often “go left unexploded, creating a hazard for civilians, not only during the conflict itself, but even after the conflict and sometimes years later,” retired US Army Lt. Col. Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, commenting on Kiev’s move to formally exit the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines.
“We still have mines that are going off that are found in Vietnam, [and] in Afghanistan as well,” the observer stressed, saying that landmines effectively become a humanitarian issue and a lingering threat to civilians that can last decades.
Desperate move
Pointing out that cluster anti-personnel mines have been used in Ukraine even while Kiev was a party to the treaty, Rasmussen said the decision to formally quit the agreement is based on the country’s “absolute desperation” to try and slow the Russian advance.
“Russians will still advance, but they’ll have to do demining operations, which takes a lot of time, and endangers soldiers that carry out those functions as well,” he said, explaining Ukraine’s logic.
New Iron Curtain
Commenting on the fact that Ukraine withdrew from the Convention in sync with countries from NATO’s eastern flank, including Poland and the Baltics, Rasmussen characterized the latter’s decision as a purely political move to whip up hysteria and justify further increases in defense spending.
“Essentially, they’re trying to create a buffer zone, almost like a second Iron Curtain, although there’s no ideological reasons or purposes to do this,” or real security threat from Russia or Belarus. “They’re basically preparing for a larger conflict in the future,” Rasmussen summed up.
