Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia intend to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, the defense ministers of the four countries have announced in a joint statement. The ministers said that since signing the treaty, “the security situation in our region has fundamentally deteriorated.” Leaving the 1997 treaty, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 nations but not by Russia, will allow Poland and the three Baltic countries to start stockpiling landmines again. The ministers highlighted the threat posed by Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, describing the situation as...