Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Moscow on Thursday to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On the same day, they launched a comprehensive joint military exercise that will take place over a large area in both countries and in the Baltic Sea. There will be partial shooting with sharp, and it is a culmination of three months of military exercises.
The “Zapad-2021” exercise, which will last for a week, has caused concern in several NATO countries. The fear is that the exercise increases the risk that a mistake could trigger a serious international crisis.
The exercise will also take place at a time when there are great tensions between the West and Belarus. The EU has imposed sanctions on the Lukashenko regime as a result of its repression of all opposition groups, activists and journalists. The Kremlin has supported Lukashenko all the way.
— .
