A government proposal calling for Finland's withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty — which would allow the country to use anti-personnel mines — mostly received broad support from MPs during discussions about the matter on Tuesday.
However, some parliamentarians do not support the treaty withdrawal proposal.
The international treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transport of anti-personnel mines.
The Finnish government has proposed to end the country's obligations to the convention, which it signed in 2012 as the last EU state to do so. Earlier this year, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland jointly announced they were withdrawing from the treaty.
When announcing the withdrawal plans in April, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said that Russia posed a long-term security threat to Finland and Europe.
Opening Tuesday's debate in Parliament, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) said that Finland needs to strengthen its defence capabilities in light of the changed security environment.
Valtonen added that the effects of leaving the treaty have been comprehensively assessed.
"Withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty will enable the return of anti-personnel mine systems to the Defense Forces' range of capabilities, which will expand Finland’s defensive maneuverability," Valtonen told MPs.
She noted that withdrawing from the treaty could also have negative effects, including damage to Finland's arms policy reputation. However, she added that allied and partner countries broadly understand Finland's circumstances.
Security, decisions
Defence committee chair Mikko Savola (Cen) pointed out that he was one of few MPs in 2011 who voted against signing onto the treaty.
"Mines are a defensive weapon. They're only used in crisis situations to block and deter enemy forces," Savola told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Savola added that he thinks it's important that Finland should let the world know how it intends to use the mines.
According to the chair of the biggest opposition party the SDP, Antti Lindtman, Russia's actions in its war in Ukraine justified Finland's reassessment of the treaty. He said the SDP views the matter primarily from a security perspective.
At the same time he said that it is important for Finland to bolster its humanitarian work to prevent and avoid the potential harms of anti-personnel mines.
'Bad message' to world
However, the deputy chair of the opposition Left Alliance, Veronika Honkasalo, accused the government of contradicting itself by speaking of the importance of a rules-based system and wanting to withdraw from the treaty.
"This sends a very bad message to the world that we are weakening our own international commitments," Honkasalo said.
According to her, the issue is above all a humanitarian one.
"The issue is that a civilised state should not use — or even plan to use — weapons that cause undue suffering to civilians," she said, adding that studies show the majority of people injured by landmines are civilians and children.
In response, Valtonen said that Finland would use the mines in a manner that avoids civilian casualties.
Oras Tynkkynen, the Greens' parliamentary group chair, noted that warfare and weapons technologies have changed in recent times.
"But I hope that the committees will carefully examine whether these changes are so great and significant that they are grounds for the government's proposal [to withdraw from the treaty]," Tynkkynen said.