Lithuania exits Convention on Cluster Munitions

Lithuania formally withdrew on March 6 from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, an international treaty that bans the production and distribution of this controversial weaponry.

The Lithuanian parliament voted to exit the treaty last July, leading to Vilnius submitting documents for withdrawal in the autumn of that year. The six-month deadline for leaving the convention expired on March 6.

Cluster munitions, weapons that disperse hundreds of smaller "bomblets" in a wide area upon impact, have seen extensive use during Russia's all-out war against Ukraine. Russian forces have repeatedly deployed this weapon in civilian areas.

The U.S. began providing Ukraine with cluster munitions in the summer of 2023, provided they are used outside of populated zones against Russian forces in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. are not parties to the convention, which includes over 110 countries worldwide. The weaponry is seen as posing a risk to civilians as some of the bomblets often fail to explode, presenting danger to local populations for years after the war.

Lithuania, which lies at NATO's eastern flank and borders Russia's ally Belarus and the heavily armed exclave of Kaliningrad, argued that it requires all possible means to deter potential aggression, especially since Russia uses the weaponry as well, the LRT broadcaster reported.

Lithuanian officials pledged to minimize potential risks by implementing algorithms that would prevent the munitions from failing to detonate. The Baltic country is also examining alternatives to cluster munitions but sees the withdrawal from the treaty as a strategic message to potential opponents.

Vilnius is also mulling a withdrawal from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines.

"I think that we will have the final decision in the spring," Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said regarding the treaty on land mines.

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