Security over stigma : norm contestation and Lithuania's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention
Security over stigma : norm contestation and Lithuania's withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention

Author(s): Emilija Urbonaité
Subject(s): Security and defense
Published by: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů
Keywords: Land mines; deterrence strategy
Summary/Abstract: This paper examines Lithuania’s decision to withdraw from theOttawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines and arguesthat the move should be understood as regionally legitimizednorm contestation rather than unilateral norm erosion. Drawingon semi-structured elite interviews with Lithuanian policymakers,military professionals, and security experts, this qualitative casestudy research shows that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainein 2022 constituted a strategic shock that reshaped threatperceptions and defence planning on NATO’s Eastern Flank.Lithuanian decision-makers increasingly prioritized deterrenceby denial and forward defence, viewing anti-personnel minesas practical counter-mobility tools that slow adversaries andbuy time in the early stages of conflict. Crucially, Lithuania’swithdrawal occurred in coordination with neighbouring frontlinestates, which redistributed reputational and diplomatic costs.This collective action transformed a potentially stigmatized treatyexit into a politically acceptable regional security adaptation,illustrating how humanitarian norms may be conditionallyreinterpreted under severe security pressures.

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