Belarus to Move Zapad-2025 Exercises Deeper into Country to “Reduce Tensions”
The main maneuvers of the Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2025 strategic military exercise will be relocated further inland within Belarus to “reduce tensions.”
Belarusian Minister of Defense Viktor Khrenin announced this and stated that the decision also “reflects a willingness to engage in dialogue” with neighboring countries.
“We have decided to reduce the scale of the Zapad exercise and to move its main maneuvers deeper into the territory of the Republic of Belarus, away from the western borders,” the Belarusian minister stated.
He also added that these joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus “are not directed against anyone.”
According to Khrenin, in terms of intensity and scale, the Zapad exercises have “never been comparable to the operational and combat training activities conducted in Europe by NATO member states.”
The minister noted that “as is tradition, the very fact of holding the exercise routinely provokes predictable speculation from representatives of the military and political leadership of certain European countries.”
According to him, with this decision, Belarus “once again confirms its readiness for dialogue, compromise, and the reduction of tensions — not just in words, but in deeds.”
“Frankly, we are doing this without expecting a constructive response. We are doing it primarily to demonstrate to our allies and partners worldwide the genuinely peaceful stance of the Republic of Belarus,” Khrenin said.
Russia and Belarus plan to conduct the large-scale joint strategic military exercise Zapad-2025 in September this year. The official objectives of the drills are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, enhance coordination between the armed forces, and test the military’s readiness for various operational scenarios.
However, these maneuvers have consistently raised concerns among neighboring countries due to the potential for unpredictable actions or incidents. Such concerns are not unfounded, as Belarus served as a staging ground for the advance of Russian invasion forces into northern Ukraine, including toward Kyiv.
From February 10 to 20, 2022, unplanned exercises titled Allied Resolve 2022 were held on Belarusian territory. Just four days after their conclusion, Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
