reuters.com
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Summary

Finland will exit the 1997 Ottawa landmine treaty and increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2029 in response to the growing threat from Russia, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced.

The move aligns Finland with Poland and the Baltic states, which also plan to leave the treaty.

Finland joined NATO in 2023 and shares NATO’s longest border with Russia.

Officials emphasized landmines as a necessary deterrent. The decision, backed by major parties, allows renewed stockpiling and marks a major shift in Finland’s defence posture.

  • AmidFuror@fedia.io
    1427·
    2 days ago

    So, when we don’t need anti-personnel landmines, then they are bad, and other nations should not use them. When we do need them, their use becomes acceptable.

    Is that about right?

    • AMoralNihilist@feddit.ukEnglish
      41·
      13 hours ago

      I think it’s a good point. The hypocrisy and double standards have really come to the fore in the past 3 years.

      However, I think it’s partially due to a lack of empathy/inability to understand the desperation that drives some parts of the war machine, survive at any cost.

      Land mines are a horror of war that bite long after the conflict ends. They are also one of the most cost effective ways of slowing/containing a large scale enemy assault.

      Personally, I don’t know where I stand on this news, existential threats shift viewpoints drastically.

      I think it’s fair to say: we should not use landmines, we should wish for other countries to not use them. However, I don’t think that they should be demonised. And they should be used as “reasonably” as possible. (E.g. securing a border or military base, not near a residential area). Of course when survival comes into play, soldiers will do what they feel they need to at the end of the day, and who are we to judge from the comfort of our screens?

      • MrFinnbean@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        7 hours ago

        Land mines are a horror of war that bite long after the conflict ends.

        I have had always problem with this thinking and im pro mines. Yes it will be sad if children die 10 years from now to old landmine, but its also sad if that child is never born because their parents died fighting in a war.

    • Evotech@lemmy.worldEnglish
      311·
      2 days ago

      Well, Russia uses them anyway, I guess that’s the reasoning.

      Finland has a long border to cover

      • AmidFuror@fedia.io
        57·
        2 days ago

        Yeah. I realize that landmines have terrible consequences in times of peace. I also realize the Finns don’t want to lose territory to Russia (again). It just seems hypocritical to me to be against something when you have no use for it and then do an about face.