The EU member and other countries in the region have ramped up defence spending and training since Moscow's troops invaded Ukraine in 2022, voicing fears that Russia could target them next.

"It is official: Lithuania is withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention, a move that was approved by the @LRSeimas (parliament) today. The withdrawal will take effect in six months," the defence ministry said on X.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene later said on Facebook: "We are preparing for the production and acquisition of mines."

"Russia is using everything in Ukraine to kill innocent people, and we are taking every possible and impossible measure to deter and, if necessary, protect our citizens," she added.

More than 160 countries and territories are signatories to the Ottawa Convention, including Ukraine but not the United States or Russia.

The treaty bans signatories from acquiring, producing, stockpiling or using anti-personnel mines, which are designed to be buried or hidden on the ground.

They often mutilate victims, who are not immediately killed, and aid groups decry their long-term impact on civilians.

In March, the three Baltic countries -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- and Poland announced their plans to renounce the treaty.

"In light of this unstable security environment marked by Russia's aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community, it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defence capabilities," the statement said.

"With this decision, we are sending a clear message: our countries are prepared and can use every necessary measure to defend our territory and freedom."

Latvian lawmakers were the first to vote to quit the treaty last month.

Finland also announced in April that it planned to withdraw from the treaty.

Lithuania's parliament took the decision with 107 votes in favour, none against and three abstentions.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Copenhagen (AFP) April 23, 2025 - Denmark on Wednesday announced it would add 5,000 positions to its military in the next eight years, including setting up a new infantry battalion, as the defence minister highlighted the "deteriorating" security the country faces.

The defence ministry said a new infantry battalion would be created to ensure a "continuous military presence" on the strategic island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.

"We live in uncertain times, where it is important to be able to defend Denmark in a situation where security is deteriorating, and here we have given special consideration to Bornholm," Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said.

The government announced in February that it would add 50 billion kroner ($7 billion) over the next two years to its defence spending because of the increased threat from Russia.

The additional funds will bring Denmark's defence spending to three percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The defence ministry said that the number of military staff -- troops and civilian workers -- would rise from 23,000 to 28,000. Danish media reported that the additional 5,000 included military and civilian positions.

Bornholm island, south of the Swedish coast, is considered strategic as it needs to be passed to exit the Baltic Sea.

Earlier this week the government announced a deal with opposition parties to strengthen the Danish Navy "to improve maritime surveillance and enforcement of sovereignty at sea".

The agreement included buying four marine environment and mine-laying vessels, as well as 21 vessels for the Danish Home Guard. They are expected to cost four billion kroner ($607 million).

Bornholm island, south of the Swedish coast, is considered strategic as it needs to be passed to exit the Baltic Sea.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In January, NATO announced the launch of a Baltic Sea patrol mission, Baltic Sentry, to secure critical underwater infrastructure.

In February Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen cited a need to "rearm massively to avoid war."

Frederiksen's comments came after US President Donald Trump rattled European nations and Kyiv by opening talks with Moscow.

The US president has also raised doubts about Washington's commitment to NATO by demanding that European countries take more responsibility for their own defence.

Trump has strained relations with Denmark by repeatedly signalling that he wants control over Greenland -- an autonomous Danish territory.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Stockholm (AFP) April 22, 2025 - Sweden, Finland, Norway and Lithuania plan to beef up military capabilities around the Baltic Sea with a joint order for several hundred CV90 combat vehicles, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday.

Kristersson made the announcement at a joint press conference in Stockholm with his Lithuanian counterpart Gintautas Paluckas, following talks between the two.

"Our focus right now is on a potential coordinated acquisition of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicles with Sweden, Lithuania, Finland and Norway together," Kristersson said.

"With a possible coordinated procurement, we will strengthen our shared military capabilities in the Baltic Sea region," he said.

The CV90 combat vehicle is made by BAE Systems Hagglunds in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.

Kristersson gave no exact price for a future order.

"We are at least discussing several hundreds of vehicles, and they are quite costly," he said.

"On the other hand, we are expanding our military defence budgets," he added.

At the end of March, Sweden announced it would increase defence spending by about 300 billion kronor ($30 billion) over the next decade.

It said it aimed to boost its defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP by 2030, up from the current 2.4 percent.

The Nordic country dropped two centuries of military non-alignment and applied for membership in NATO in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, becoming its 32nd member in March 2024.

US President Donald Trump has demanded that all NATO countries contribute at least five percent of GDP to their defence budgets.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington DC (UPI) Apr 11, 2025 - Western allies want a "militarily strong Ukraine," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Friday, as his country pledged $12.4 billion in military aid, part of a larger combined $24 billion allied commitment.

The new allocation of funds runs until 2029 and includes a $5.8-billion commitment from Britain, which was announced at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

The UDCD is made up of all 32 NATO members, plus 25 other countries and the European Union which all support Ukraine's defense militarily.

"We need a militarily strong Ukraine," Pistorius said Friday.

"Only then can negotiations lead to a just and lasting and peace settlement."

Much of Germany's contribution will go towards air defense, guided missiles and ammunition for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

British Defense Secretary John Healey called 2025 a "critical year" in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, adding that allies see no end in sight to the war, which has been going on for more than three years.

U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to negotiate a cease-fire has so far not come to fruition.

Earlier in the week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country has evidence of at least 155 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in the conflict.

Britain and Norway's commitment relates largely to radar and air defense, with Healey calling it a priority Friday.

"In our calculations, 70% to 80% of battlefield casualties are now caused and inflicted by drones," he told reporters.

The money will also help buy drones and anti-tank mines and fun vehicle repairs.

Britain's commitment announced Friday is part of a larger $5.8 billion package announced earlier in the year.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington DC (UPI) Apr 2, 2025 - Finland joined other European nations in abandoning a long-standing treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel mines.

Finnish president Alexander Stubb announced Tuesday that his country "will prepare for the withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention," based on what he described as "a thorough assessment by the relevant ministries and the Defense Forces."

Ministers of Defense from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland announced jointly in March that their countries would no longer observe the Ottawa Convention, or Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which was ratified in 1997.

The U.N. stated that since the treaty was signed, it has "led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines, and a drastic reduction in their deployment."

The joint statement released from Poland and the three Baltic states said "military threats to NATO Member States bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased," and that due to "Russia's aggression and its ongoing threat to the Euro-Atlantic community, it is essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities."

Stubb did not directly connect Finland's withdrawal to Russia, but it too shares a border with Russia, and Russia's war with Ukraine is high among Finnish concerns.

The nonprofit Human Rights Watch noted Tuesday that Russia has not banned the use of anti-personnel landmines and alleges "Russian forces have used anti-personnel landmines extensively in Ukraine since 2022."

With the withdrawal of Finland from the Ottawa Convention, Norway is now the only European country that borders Russia but remains a member of the treaty.

"'I regret Finland's intention to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention," said Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide in a press release Wednesday.

Despite the plan to leave the Ottawa Convention, Stubb added that "Finland is committed to its international obligations on the responsible use of mines."

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington (AFP) April 1, 2025 - Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to London said Tuesday he would ask Britain to reverse a partial suspension of arms exports to Israel, a decision taken over rights concerns.

Warren Stephens, an Arkansas-based investment banker and political donor to Trump named for the coveted diplomatic posting, said he was "a little perplexed" by the decision of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

"What I've read about that, with the UK halting some of their shipments to Israel, is certainly concerning," Stephens said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I would do my part to encourage them to reinstate those permits and to try to get them, you know, what they need to continue the fight," he said.

He was responding to a question of Republican Senator Rick Scott, who said Starmer's Labour Party "treats Israel as a problem and not a solution" and called on Stephens to "try to educate" Britain on Israel.

Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, announced in September that Britain would suspend 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel out of fear the weapons could be used in breach of humanitarian law as Israel pounds Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.

Starmer said at the time that Britain still supported "Israel's right to self-defense" but was "committed to the international rule of law."

The decision reversed the position of the previous Conservative government and contrasted with the stance of the United States, which under president Joe Biden voiced concern about Israel's use of US weapons but with one exception maintained shipments.

The Biden administration did not criticize Starmer's move, saying Britain made its own sovereign decisions.

Trump has vowed robust support for Israel. Despite slashing the vast majority of US aid abroad, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the speeding up of some $4 billion in weapons to Israel.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Vilnius (AFP) April 1, 2025 - Three of the four United States soldiers missing in Lithuania since last week were found dead on Monday, the US army said after rescuers recovered the soldiers' armoured vehicle from a swamp.

The Lithuanian authorities received a report last Tuesday that the soldiers went missing during a military drill at a training ground in the eastern city Pabrade, near the border with Belarus.

Search and rescue teams worked with heavy equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle had been located before eventually towing it out of the swamp early on Monday.

"Three US Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31," US Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office said in a statement.

It added that search and recovery operations continue for the remaining fourth soldier.

In Washington, President Donald Trump confirmed the toll of three dead and one missing and described the accident involving the armoured vehicle.

"It was a very heavy truck," he told reporters in the Oval Office, "but I mean really heavy, that lifted the heaviest equipment. And it would seem that the bank of a lake collapsed. You know, the weight is so big."

"And it was at night and it was very cold weather. Ice, a lot of ice. And it possibly slipped and the weight is so enormous," Trump said.

The soldiers' identities were being withheld pending notification of next of kin, according to the Army statement.

"Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said the division's commanding general Christopher Norrie.

"But the search isn't finished until everyone is home," he added.

"Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," he said.

Hundreds of local and foreign troops and other rescue workers including engineers and divers had been involved in a rescue operation to recover the M88 Hercules armoured vehicle.

Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Washington DC (UPI) Apr 1, 2025 - The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said Tuesday its field operations in southern California have been "working relentlessly" to prevent entry of replica firearm into the United States.

Officials say that, since the start of this year, more than 1,000 replica firearms have been seized at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by CBP officers in coordination with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

"Replica firearms -- even though not always functional -- can be easily mistaken for genuine weapons by the public and law enforcement. Such misidentification can lead to tragic outcomes," Cheryl M. Davies, LA's CBP director of field operations, said in a release.

Cohen said that, if the counterfeit items did reach the streets, they could have "significant" consequences.

Federal officials say nearly 3,000 replica guns or other firearms were seized from fiscal year 2022 to date at all U.S. ports of entry.

Border officials added that some 953 replica firearms, 111 replica suppressors and 92 abandoned suppressors have since been destroyed in the process.

The recent shipments originated in China via air parcel destined for various points in the United States.

In early 2018, the Transportation and Security Administration announced it set a weekly record when TSA officials located more than 100 firearms in carry-on bags at U.S. airports.

The new arrivals, however, intentionally were misdeclared as "Alloy Miniature Toys" in the effort to fool authorities.

Imitation firearms in public can lead to criminal charges.

Toy guns, look-alike firearms and imitation firearms sold or transported across state lines, according to federal law, must have a blaze orange plug inserted in the barrel or a stripe on both sides of it.

The law change dates back to a Reagan-era effort in Congress spearheaded by then-Senate Republican Leader Robert Dole of Kansas in 1988.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission chief said it was committed to working alongside CBP to prevent illegal products from entering the U.S. market, particularly from China.

"Now more than ever, we are grateful for this ongoing partnership between CPSC port inspectors and their CBP counterparts," CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman said Tuesday.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Vilnius (AFP) Mar 31, 2025 - Three of the four United States soldiers missing in Lithuania since last week were found dead on Monday, the US army said after rescuers recovered the soldiers' armoured vehicle from a swamp.

The Lithuanian authorities received a report last Tuesday that the soldiers went missing during a military drill at a training ground in the eastern city Pabrade, near the border with Belarus.

Search and rescue teams worked with heavy equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle had been located before eventually towing it out of the swamp early on Monday.

"Three US Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31," US Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office said in a statement.

It added that "search and recovery operations continue for the remaining fourth soldier".

The soldiers' identities were being "withheld pending notification of next of kin", the statement said.

"Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said the division's commanding general Christopher Norrie.

"But the search isn't finished until everyone is home," he added.

"Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," he said.

Hundreds of local and foreign troops and other rescue workers including engineers and divers had been involved in a rescue operation to recover the M88 Hercules armoured vehicle.

Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, hosts more than 1,000 American troops stationed on a rotational basis.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Copenhagen (AFP) Mar 25, 2025 - Denmark's defence ministry on Tuesday announced it was bringing forwards military service for women by two years.

"In light of the current defence and security policy situation, the armed forces need to recruit more people," Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement.

Women who turn 18 after July 1, 2025, could be required to take part in an annual ballot from next year to determine which ones must perform mandatory military service, something which is already required of men.

"This is therefore an important signal to move up full equality between men and women to July 1, 2025," said Poulsen.

The annual ballot would only take place if there were not enough volunteers that year.

New conscription regulations also extend military service from four to 11 months.

Faced with the rising threat posed by Russia, Denmark in February announced additional defence spending of 6.8 billion euros for the next two years (2026 and 2027), following an increase of 5.4 billion euros a year ago.

]]> Fri, 23 MAY 2025 02:30:09 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D