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Poland to Hold Joint NATO Drills in Response to Russian–Belarusian Exercises

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Maryna_kulakova
Maryna Kulakova
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Poland to Hold Joint NATO Drills in Response to Russian–Belarusian Exercises
Russian and Belarusian troops take part in the Zapad-2021 military exercise in Brest region in Belarus on September 14, 2021. (Source: Getty Images)

Poland will conduct joint military exercises with NATO allies in response to the upcoming Zapad  drills planned by Russia and Belarus for September, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced, according to TVN24 on May 26.

Tomczyk said the move is a proportional response to the scale of the Russian-Belarusian maneuvers, which are expected to involve significant troop deployments.

“This will be a response matching the scale of the Russian and Belarusian forces involved. We must demonstrate strength and unity,” he stated.

The exercises will take place in Poland and include participation from NATO troops. Tomczyk emphasized that the current situation demands heightened readiness.

“This is unprecedented. We’re seeing three massive attacks on Ukraine, mainly targeting Kyiv. It seems Russia is heading toward escalation. At any moment, the war could explode again,” he warned, adding that Russia’s previous exercises in Belarus “in some ways ended with the invasion of Ukraine.”

On October 23, 2024, Belarus’s Ministry of Defense announced it would host the Zapad 2025 exercises jointly with Russia. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated on April 4 that NATO is prepared to respond to the joint drills.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia is “preparing something” in Belarus under the cover of military exercises this summer.

Previously, it was reported that Belarus does not currently possess nuclear weapons, only their delivery systems, according to Chief of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Ivashchenko.

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