Finland Plans to Buy One Million Landmines: Why Helsinki Is Rearming Its Border
Finland, long known for neutrality and careful diplomacy, has announced one of its most striking defense moves in decades. The Finnish Defence Forces plan to buy one million anti-personnel mines from domestic manufacturers, with roughly 100 million euros earmarked for the purchase. The goal is to have domestic production running by 2028. From Treaty Member to Stockpiler Finland joined the Ottawa Convention in 2012, the treaty banning anti-personnel mines, and went on to destroy more than one million of them. It was the last EU state to sign. Its withdrawal from the treaty took effect in January 2026, and preparations for the purchase began soon afterward. Army officials say about half a dozen Finnish companies could manufacture the mines. The Russia Factor Finland shares a border of roughly 1,340 kilometres with Russia, which makes it the longest frontier between NATO and Moscow. Finland dropped decades of non-alignment to join NATO in 2023, after Russia's i...