REGULATORY · MARKET STRUCTURE · EUROPE
Poland exits antipersonnel mine ban treaty
Change
Poland withdrew from the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty on February 20, 2026.
Why it matters
Withdrawal removes Poland’s treaty-based restrictions on possessing and employing antipersonnel mines, enabling domestic policy to govern any reintroduction into force structure. Polish officials linked the change to eastern-border defense against Russia and referenced rapid mining timelines, indicating a shift toward pre-positioning and fast-deployment capabilities. The decision creates a divergence from Ottawa Convention obligations that still bind many European and NATO partners, complicating coalition planning where rules of engagement and munitions policies differ. It also reopens industrial and supply-chain pathways for mine-related manufacturing and delivery systems that had been closed after stockpile destruction. The change increases scrutiny and potential diplomatic friction around civilian-harm risk and post-conflict clearance liabilities associated with mine use.
Implications
- • Treaty-based ban on Poland’s antipersonnel mine use no longer applies
- • Defense procurement can include antipersonnel mine production and delivery systems
- • Coalition operations face ROE and interoperability frictions with treaty-bound partners
- • Higher diplomatic and legal exposure tied to civilian-harm and clearance liabilities
Who is affected
- • Polish Ministry of National Defence and border-defense units
- • NATO/European partner militaries operating with Poland under Ottawa-aligned policies
- • Polish defense manufacturers and mine-delivery system suppliers (e.g., Belma SA)
- • Humanitarian demining and civilian-protection organizations monitoring mine use
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Conflicts Security & Defense