MINSK, May 16. /TASS/. The upcoming joint exercises by Belarus and Russia are of defensive nature, the countries are not going to attack anyone, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with visiting Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.
"I want to say that we are ready for the exercise. We are not hiding anything from anyone. We really demonstrate openness, that these exercises are ours and are defensive in nature," the BelTA news agency quotes Lukashenko as saying. "We're not going to attack anyone, contrary to what some people think. Well, it's their business. Let them think the way they do. We've made a decision at the level of presidents on the exercise. We discussed this issue with Vladimir Putin."
Lukashenko emphasized Belarus' readiness for upcoming military exercises, stating, "On our part, the training grounds of Belarus are fully prepared. We are prepared to deploy to Russian ranges as needed, and to accommodate Russian troops." He further assured that joint exercises involving the unified group of troops within the Union State would proceed smoothly. "Russia has nothing to worry about. We will be thoroughly prepared," he affirmed. Lukashenko also noted, "Just as during the parade, the Belarusian side’s performance will be on par with others."
He added, "Our actions will align with the latest military strategies and modern warfare techniques, incorporating lessons learned from the recent special military operation and adopting new principles and methods." The joint Belarusian-Russian exercise Zapad-2025 is scheduled for mid-September.