Hungary’s Influence in the Western Balkans
Hungary’s Influence in the Western Balkans

Author(s): Asya Metodieva
Subject(s): International relations/trade
Published by: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů
Keywords: political partnerships
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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