MOSCOW, February 15. /TASS/. A Russian lawmaker has slammed allegations that the Union Resolve 2022 Russian-Belarusian drills pose a threat for other countries as mere speculations.

"I would not consider these drills as muscle-flexing before the West. We conduct such drills every year: in Russia and in Belarus alternately. So, it is usual practice," Grigory Rapota, a member of the international committee of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper parliament house, told TASS on Tuesday.

"They look at every our drills, even those conducted in Mulino in the Nizhny Novgorod region, as an external threat to someone. These are speculations. Let us not focus on that. It is unnecessary. I think it is a pointless thing," he said.

He recalled that military drills are conducted according to plans and observers are invited to monitor such drills in order to avoid suspicions of aggressive intentions.

The lawmaker called for building a system of mutual trust and a normal dialogue between Western countries and Russia. "We should try to do it and the Russian side has demonstrated all the signs of its readiness for such dialogue," Rapota noted. "It takes time to build trust. And patience is needed on both sides. They need to demonstrate good will, readiness for dialogue, readiness to understand the partner."

The Union Resolve 2022 Russian-Belarusian exercises are being conducted from February 10 through 20 at training ranges in Belarus to drill the skills of repelling foreign aggression, defending the interests of the Union State and counteracting terrorism.