After Poland withdraws from the Ottawa Convention, it will be able to deploy anti-personnel mines along its eastern border within 48 hours should a threat emerge, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Thursday. Like most of Russia’s European neighbours, except Norway, Poland intends to withdraw from the treaty that prohibits the production and use of anti-personnel mines and to deploy these mines as part of its “East Shield” initiative aimed at bolstering the security of its borders with Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Prime Minister Tusk emphasised the importance of this undertaking, declaring, “We are in the process of finalising this mine project, which is crucial for our security and the integrity of our territory and borders.” Additionally, Deputy Defence Minister Pawel Zalewski confirmed in December that Warsaw plans to resume the production of anti-personnel mines for the first time since the Cold War, with the intention of deploying them along its eastern border and potentially exporting them to Ukraine.
Poland commenced the withdrawal process from the Ottawa Convention in August and is set to officially exit the treaty following a six-month withdrawal period, which will conclude on 20 February 2026.
