Finland Boosts Defense Spending, Considers Abandoning Landmine Ban

The Finnish government has announced a significant increase in its defense budget and is considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines, as per Bloomberg.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced on Tuesday that Finland plans to raise its defense spending to 3% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2029.

The move comes as Finland, the newest member of NATO, now guards half of the alliance’s land border with Russia, making it a crucial player in regional security, according to the report.

In addition to increased spending, the government is also preparing to potentially withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines.