The Kremlin on Friday rejected European concerns over joint military exercises being conducted by Russia and Belarus, calling them exaggerated and driven by hostility towards Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Western European nations were displaying an “emotional overload” in their response to the drills, insisting that Russia posed no threat. He argued that the West’s suspicions reflected political bias rather than the reality of the exercises.
The Russian Defence Ministry announced earlier that the large-scale “Zapad” exercises had begun in both Russia and Belarus, as well as in the Baltic and Barents Seas. According to officials, the drills are aimed at testing the two countries’ joint combat readiness and defensive capabilities.
The exercises, which take place near NATO’s borders, are viewed with caution in Europe, where governments fear they may be used to mask potential military movements or signal aggression. Similar exercises in the past have raised tensions between Moscow and the West.
Despite these concerns, the Kremlin reiterated that the operations are routine and defensive in nature. Peskov emphasized that Russia and Belarus have the right to strengthen their security cooperation without outside interference.
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