Poland wants to turn NATO's eastern border into a minefield

Poland is preparing for a World War III scenario, including plans to release a “survival guide” later this year. It is also building “East Shield” – described by Polish lawmakers as the largest fortification of its eastern border since 1945.

Countries that approved the Ottawa Agreement. Photo: Wikipedia

In an interview with RMF24 on March 18, when asked about the decision to end the Ottawa Convention, Paweł Bejda, Deputy Minister of Defense of Poland, stated: "We have no other choice. The situation at the borders is very serious. I am talking about the Polish-Belarusian and Polish-Russian borders. This will be part of the Eastern Shield."

"We don't have anti-personnel mines, but we have the capacity to produce them," Minister Bejda added, revealing that the Polish Armaments Corporation would be responsible for production, which could amount to hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of mines.

Along with Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia also announced their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on March 18.

The Ottawa Convention is an international agreement signed in 1997 that has been ratified or joined by more than 160 countries. Withdrawing from the convention would allow Poland and the Baltic states to restock and use anti-personnel mines for the first time in nearly 30 years.

In a joint statement, the defense ministers of the four countries stressed: "The military threat to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus has increased significantly. With this decision, we want to send a clear message: our country is ready and will use all necessary measures to protect its national security."

Human rights groups and the United Nations are expected to react strongly to the decision, as anti-personnel mines have long been considered one of the most dangerous weapons for civilians in post-war times.

Cao Phong (according to AJ, Newsweek, RMF24)