Poland and three Baltic states announced their intention to quit a treaty banning antipersonnel mines to give their forces a critical defensive edge amid a "fundamental" deterioration in their security due to Russia.

By Andrius Sytas and Barbara Erling VILNIUS/WARSAW (Reuters) -NATO members Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia plan to withdraw from the Ottawa convention banning anti-personnel landmines due to the military threat from their neighbour Russia,

But the ministers of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia argue that the security situation along NATO’s eastern flank has “fundamentally deteriorated” since they signed on to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and that “military threats to NATO member states bordering Russia and Belarus have significantly increased.”