The Zapad-2025 drills are scheduled to take place next fall on Russian and Belarusian territory.

On Wednesday, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that his nation’s joint military exercises with Russia and other member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will be relocated away from the Baltic border in an effort to ease potential geopolitical tensions.

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“We have decided to reduce the scope of the Zapad-2025 exercises, and through this, we once again confirm our readiness for dialogue and our commitment and intent to de-escalate tensions — not just with words, but with actions as well,” Khrenin said during a meeting of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers in Kyrgyzstan.

“The decision was made without expecting any constructive response, but to demonstrate to our allies and partners around the world the truly peaceful stance of the Republic of Belarus,” he added.

The Belarusian minister also emphasized that the military exercises are not directed against anyone and, in terms of intensity and scale, are incomparable to NATO drills conducted on European soil.

Khrenin also used the occasion to meet with Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ruslan Mukambetov. The two officials signed a cooperation agreement focused on leisure, recreation, and health improvement programs for military personnel and their families.

The Zapad-2025 exercises are scheduled to take place next fall on Russian and Belarusian territory. In previous years, the drills were conducted near the Baltic and Polish borders and included both aerial exercises and ground deployments.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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