The vote, which passed with 84 senators in favor, one against, and one abstention, now sends the bill to President Andrzej Duda for signature.
Withdrawal from the convention would allow Poland to reintroduce anti-personnel mines into its military arsenal for the first time in over a decade.
The move follows a broader trend among countries bordering Russia that say they feel increasingly threatened in the wake of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gen. Mirosław Różański, who chairs the Senate’s defense committee and is affiliated with the centrist Third Way bloc, argued that the use of modern anti-personnel mines would not endanger civilians.
He said new-generation mines can be remotely deactivated once a threat has passed and added that all deployments would be thoroughly documented.
Wziątek stressed that while there are currently no plans to lay mines, designated zones may be established that could be mined if necessary.
He also said the government is preparing to restart domestic mine production and plans to train military engineers to clear mines using conventional methods.
Deputy Defense Minister Stanisław Wziątek told lawmakers earlier this week that Russia has used banned weapons in Ukraine and that Poland must respond by increasing its own defensive capabilities.
Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Wziątek said the change would give Poland “greater possibilities for creating significantly improved conditions along the eastern border of both Poland and the European Union.”
Under current international obligations, Poland’s armed forces only use anti-tank mines, which are designed to stop military vehicles and are not typically triggered by individual foot soldiers.
The Ottawa Convention, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 1999. It prohibits the use, development, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and requires their destruction.
Poland signed the treaty in 1997 but did not ratify it until 2012. Anti-personnel mines, by contrast, have a long history of causing civilian casualties during and long after conflicts.
Countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina still struggle with uncleared minefields dating back to the 1990s.
While nearly all European countries are parties to the convention, major powers such as the United States, China, India and Russia have not joined.
Russia has been documented using anti-personnel mines during its invasion of Ukraine.
Several NATO and EU countries bordering Russia have recently moved to leave the convention, citing growing security concerns. These include Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and now Poland.
In late June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to withdraw Ukraine from the treaty.
Lithuania and Finland have also announced plans to restart domestic mine production and support Ukraine with anti-personnel mines.
Polish officials say reintroducing the weapon is essential for strengthening national defense in the face of potential Russian aggression.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP