Finland buying a million landmines
yle.fi
The move follows Finland's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines.

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Around 100 million euros is earmarked for the acquisitions.

Preparations for the purchase began after Finland’s withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention took effect in January, Colonel Riku Mikkonen of the Army Command told Finnish news agency STT. He said there are around half a dozen companies in the country able to make mines.

Finland reintroduced landmines due to the worsening security environment. Ahead of the decision, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called Russia a long-term threat to Finnish and European security.

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  • ExLisper ( ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net ) English
    1·
    3 days ago

    Is it illegal for Finland to have landmines? No, they withdrew from Ottawa Convention. So democratically elected government follows the laws but you think it’s as bad as being tortured by invaders from a country governed by a ruthless dictator… That’s an interesting point of view that no one else in the world shares with you. But you know, be yourself.

    • kossa ( kossa@feddit.org ) English
      1·
      3 days ago

      No, I don’t think it is “just as bad”, I think precedent matters and it is a slippery slope to retreat from established values when it becomes harder to uphold them.

      Like, saying “landmines are bad”, while there’s no reason to use them, is worth…nothing. So why even ratify the Ottawa convention in the first place?

      • ExLisper ( ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net ) English
        1·
        3 days ago

        Exactly, slippery slope. That’s why the only solution is nonviolent resistance. If we start using guns today we might start using landmines and them chemical weapons in the future. Moral purity is more important than independence. When we’re marching into gas chambers at least we will know we didn’t use landmines.

          • ExLisper ( ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net ) English
            2·
            3 days ago

            Really? It’s so difficult? Countries proposed this hoping that everyone will sign up and landmines will no longer be used. It was a show of good will, basically telling other countries that “we will not use them if you won’t”. Now there’s war going on and it’s clear the other side is still using them so the countries that are threatened directly by enemies using landmines are saying “Ok, we tried but we will not give advantage to our enemies for the sake of moral purity. Not being raped is more important to us”. And I agree.