Poland, Baltics signal plans to withdraw from landmines treaty

Poland is ready to start work on resuming the production of anti-personnel mines, its defence minister said on Thursday, after Warsaw joined the Baltic states this week in announcing a plan to withdraw from a treaty that bans their use. Quitting the 1997 Ottawa Convention, which has been ratified or acceded to by more than 160 nations, will allow Poland and the three Baltic republics to start stockpiling and using anti-personnel mines again, part of their response to what they say is a rising threat from Russia.