In a decisive move to bolster Poland’s national security, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has called for the country to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines. In an interview with TV Republika, Morawiecki argued that abandoning the treaty would significantly enhance our border defences, citing the successful use of mines on the Ukrainian front as a compelling example.
On May 20th, Morawiecki visited Usnarz Górny on the Polish-Belarusian border, where he underscored the importance of fortifying Poland’s borders. He highlighted the government’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the integrity of our eastern frontier.
“The Law and Justice (PiS) government has taken decisive steps to fortify this border. Our eastern border is sacred. We cannot afford to lose even a fraction of our land. We propose not only reinforcing the entire border, from the north including the Kaliningrad Oblast, through the Belarusian border, and further south, but also taking a very specific action. We urge Poland to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty, which has hindered our ability to implement effective border fortifications due to its prohibition on the use of mines,”
Morawiecki asserted.
He elaborated on the effectiveness of mines in securing a frontier, drawing lessons from Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression.
“Whenever Ukrainian forces attempted to breach Russian lines during their counteroffensive, they failed. Why? Because the Russians had constructed robust fortifications, including reinforced concrete barriers and minefields, which effectively halted Ukrainian armoured units. Learning from these experiences, we should apply this knowledge to strengthen our own border. Withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the use of mines, is a real enhancement of our defensive measures,”
Morawiecki emphasized.
The proposal to mandate the government to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty will be presented by PiS MP Michał Dworczyk. He highlighted the critical role of mines in modern warfare, as demonstrated by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“This treaty, which bans the use of anti-personnel mines, was established in 1997 and ratified by Poland in 2012. However, it is crucial to note which countries have not ratified this treaty: Russia, the United States, China, South Korea, and Israel. What does this signify? It means that all countries engaged in wars or seriously considering their security have not ratified this convention. Discussions about withdrawing from this convention and utilizing mines as an effective defence measure are already happening in the Baltic states. We should also begin actions to withdraw from this convention. Mines are an extremely cost-effective and highly efficient weapon that we can produce domestically,”
Dworczyk explained in the Sejm yesterday.