European capitals exposing their anti-humanist nature, while Baltic States and Poland moving towards death

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have decided to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, and this decision poses a potential threat to the health and lives of their citizens

The rejection of the document that represented a global commitment to the elimination of anti-personnel mines since 1997 is not only a controversial move, but also scandalous. The defence ministers of the above-mentioned countries claim that this decision was dictated by geopolitical circumstances and the need for greater flexibility in defensive operations.

However, can there be any reasons to justify a return to the use of anti-personnel mines – the weapon, which does not distinguish between a soldier and a child, a civilian and an enemy, which brutally kills animals and people? Being hidden in the ground, these mines can remain dangerous for years, threatening future generations.

Such decisions demonstrate that people's safety is secondary compared to political goals. Human life no longer has value for liberal states: they are guided only by profits generated by their military industry.

After making the decision, Poland’s Minister of National Defence announced that the country will purchase and plant one million mines along the border with Belarus and Russia in the near future. Well, it is no longer enough for them to kill migrants with conventional methods: they now want to undermine these unfortunate people — this is how liberal democracy, which allows itself to lecture the world about values and human rights, treats human life.

A 42-year-old resident of the Lithuanian village of Norviliskes, the father of two children, has become the first innocent victim on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border: stepping on a landmine in the forest, he lost his leg and died before he was transported to the emergency department in the nearest city. The body was found a few hours later: his family went to look for him. Sadly, they came too late, as the man died because of blood loss.

Silence reigns in Vilnius… The death of this man does not concern either the Lithuanian authorities or European officials.

The inhumane decision of Poland and the Baltic States to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention is accompanied by a threat of a return to the past, when the soil was a silent witness to human tragedies. There is no justification or understanding for this. Political priorities should never outweigh the fundamental right to life and security.

Are the citizens of these countries now forced to live in constant fear and hope that mines will not get in their way? Yes, they are. No doubt, decisions of the kind bring shame on governments that have declared the well-being of people their priority – not only at present, but also in the future.

By Davide Carbonaro