VILNIUS/HELSINKI/TALLINN (Reuters) -Lithuania and Finland look set to start domestic production of anti-personnel landmines next year to supply themselves and Ukraine because of what they see as the military threat from Russia, officials from the two NATO member states told Reuters.
The two countries, which border Russia, have announced their intention to pull out of the Ottawa Convention banning the use of such mines, and the officials said production could be launched once the six-month withdrawal process is completed.
Three other NATO and European Union states - Poland, Latvia and Estonia - are also quitting the treaty, citing rising security concerns about Russia because of its war in Ukraine.
Those three countries have not announced plans to start producing anti-personnel mines, but officials in Poland and Latvia have indicated they could start production quickly if needed and Estonia sees it as a possible option in the future.
Ukraine has also announced it is withdrawing from the 1997 Ottawa treaty, so that it can defend itself better against Russia, which is not a party to the treaty. Each side has accused the other of using anti-personnel mines during the war.
The moves in Finland and Lithuania towards starting production of such mines underline mounting concern in Europe that Russia's military ambitions may go beyond Ukraine and follow pledges by NATO states to increase defence spending, in line with demands by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"We are going to spend hundreds of millions of euros on anti-tank mines, but also on anti-personnel mines. It will be a significant amount," Lithuanian Deputy Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa told Reuters.
Tens of thousands of anti-personnel landmines, or more, will be ordered, he said.
"Our national industry will be one of the sources. Our industry can make these", said Aleksa, whose country has a 274-km (170-mile) border with Russia and a 679-km border with Belarus, Russia's close ally.
Once production is established, Lithuania will be in a position to supply others including Ukraine, said Vincas Jurgutis, head of Lithuania's defence industry association.
Russia's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment by Reuters.
'DUTY TO SUPPORT UKRAINE'
Finland has, at 1,340 km, a longer border with Russia than any other NATO state.
"Finland must, for security of supply, have its own (anti-landmines) production," Finnish parliament defence committee chair Heikki Autto told Reuters. "They are a highly effective and very cost-efficient weapons system."