Łukašenka: Minsk, Moscow are not going to “attack anyone” during Zapad-2025

May 16, Pozirk. Belarus is ready to hold defensive military exercises and has nothing to hide, Alaksandar Łukašenka has told Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Minsk, most likely implying the Zapad-2025 military maneuvers planned for September in Belarus.
“We are not going to attack anyone, as some people there [in the West] think. Well, that’s their business. . . Let them think [what they want]. We have made a decision at the level of presidents to hold the exercise. We’ve discussed this issue with Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin],” his press office quoted him as saying.
Belarus’ training grounds are ready to host the maneuvers, while the Belarusian military is prepared to receive Russian troops, send soldiers to Russia if needed and train as a joint grouping of troops, Łukašenka assured the Russian official.
More than 13,000 troops are expected to participate in Zapad-2025 which will be synchronized with Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) drills. Minsk notified all the Vienna Document participating states of plans to host the drill, its timeframe and troops, Valeryj Ravienka in charge of Belarus’ international military cooperation department said earlier this year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that Moscow may use the exercise as a pretext to mass troops in Belarus for an attack on a European Union country.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said later that the scale of Zapad exercises has always been far larger than declared, urging NATO to respond symmetrically to an increase in the number of Russian and Belarusian troops during the drill.
The situation at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border and in Belarus remains threatening since Russia may try using it again, Andrii Demchenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service, warned a few weeks ago.
More like this: Polish defense official: Warsaw to respond to Zapad-2025 exercise
- PoliticsRyžankoŭ meets with Botswana’s top diplomatThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Politics, SecurityZapad-2025 moved inland, scaled down, Łukašenka confirmsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityUkrainian man sentenced to six years for attempting to smuggle draft dodger to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SecurityPoland’s Tusk calls for tougher measures to stop asylum seekersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBelarus’ deficit in goods trade widens to $2.6 billion in January-MayThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyDrones, energetic materials new majors in Belarusian higher educationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- Politics, SecurityŁukašenka accuses West of militarization ahead of Zapad 2025 drillThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- EconomyPrivate companies’ overdue loan debt rises six-fold year on yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyIndividuals’ overdue debt on loans up 23.6 percentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityDead Eritrean found near shared border with Latvia, Belarus saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Germany news, PoliticsGerman MPs join For a Democratic Belarus group’s new lineupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyPutin’s crony delivering goods from occupied Ukraine to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: concerns grow over jailed pundit Kaściuhova’s healthThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyLibyan delegation in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyUpper house approves fines for vegetable shortagesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka says Belarusians should be grateful to his government for staying out warThe material is available only to POZIRK+