ICBL Strongly Condemns Second US AP Mine Transfer to Ukraine
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines joins the US Campaign to Ban Landmines and many other defenders of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty in condemning the US government's 2 December decision to transfer another set of antipersonnel mines to Ukraine in a stunning reversal of its longstanding policy and practice. Before its first decision on 20 November 2024, the last time the US transferred AP mines was in 1992. Current US policy states it will “not export or transfer” antipersonnel mines and “not assist, encourage, or induce anyone, outside of the context of the Korean Peninsula, to engage in any activity that would be prohibited by the Ottawa Convention," otherwise known as the Mine Ban Treaty. Ukraine, a State Party to the treaty, is prohibited under the treaty from acquiring or using any type of antipersonnel landmines “under any circumstances.”
Landmines were banned 25 years ago because of their indiscriminate nature and the devastating injuries they inflict on civilians both during conflicts and long after they end. The Mine Ban Treaty now forms an integral part of international humanitarian law (IHL), which must - logically and legally - be applied in times of conflict, just as in times of peace. In providing prohibited mines to Ukraine, the US is encouraging Ukraine to violate its legal obligations and is undermining the core principles of IHL.
The announcement does not specify the type of mines being sent, but at a previous meeting with civil society groups, US officials noted that three types of mines are being sent: ADAMs, Volcano, and MOPMs. Although these mines may be considered "non-persistent," they are unequivocally banned under the Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively prohibits all types of victim-activated explosive devices, regardless of their predicted longevity, delivery method, or type of manufacture.
The Landmine Monitor 2024 report describes the widespread impact antipersonnel mines have on civilian populations even decades after they were laid. In 2023, at least 5,757 casualties of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) were recorded. Civilians made up 84% (4,335) of all recorded casualties, where the military or civilian status was known. Children accounted for 37% (1,498) of civilian casualties, where the age group was recorded.
The ICBL calls on the US to halt these transfers immediately. The people of Ukraine already face grave harm from massive Russian use of AP mines on Ukrainian territory. The ICBL urges Ukraine to protect its population from further suffering by refusing to accept these deadly US gifts.