Poland and the Baltic states have said they are planning to leave the Ottawa Convention, dealing a blow to the international treaty banning antipersonnel land mines.In a joint statement on Tuesday, the defense ministers of the Baltic States and Poland recommended withdrawing from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty,

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.

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, the four countries said on Tuesday.