World

Finland Plans to Acquire One Million Anti‑Personnel Mines Amid Rising Russian Threat

By Al Jazeera Staff

Finland is preparing to purchase one million anti‑personnel mines, a move that follows the country’s withdrawal from the United Nations Ottawa Convention, which bans such weapons. The Finnish government intends to spend 100 million euros (about $112 million) on the munitions. The decision comes after Finland and other regional allies—Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland—left the Ottawa Convention last year, citing a perceived threat from Moscow.

Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Army Command told the national news agency STT that officials are now collecting information from suppliers about the deal. Helsinki would like domestic manufacturers to supply the mines, with contracts expected to be signed by the end of 2027 and production operational by 2028. Mikkonen said that about half a dozen Finnish firms qualify, and that buying the mines from abroad is not ruled out at this stage.

Finland joined the Ottawa Convention in 2012 but announced its withdrawal in April 2025, citing a worsening security climate, and ceased to be bound by the treaty in January. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has described Russia, which borders Finland’s eastern edge, as a long‑term threat. Finland shares a 1,340‑kilometre (830‑mile) border with Russia and has strengthened its defenses since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians until the war ends, saying that it is “not right” for Russians to enjoy European freedoms while their country bombs Ukrainian homes. She noted that Schengen countries granted nearly half a million tourist visas to Russians in 2025, and that Finland banned such visas in 2022, calling for the rest of the bloc to follow suit.