NATO member countries that have been in the organization over the past three decades are a kind of testing ground for the leading countries of the bloc. This was stated by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus Pavel Muraveyko.
"Young NATO member countries, those who have been in the alliance for less than three decades, are a kind of testing ground where new techniques, types of weapons, forms of their use, new organizational and staff structures can be tested… Will NATO's fifth Article work? I am far from thinking that the Germans are ready to die for the Balts if something suddenly starts. But most importantly, many of today's messages are far-fetched and aimed at militarization in favor of ambitions, proposals coming from overseas. The US President has pulled off a unique operation to militarize Europe. He actually put the whole of Europe on the military needle of the American military-industrial complex. It is not surprising if the next option is a deal that everyone should switch to American weapons standards and develop everything in the interests of the military-industrial complex. There is a quiet militarization and quiet occupation of Europe by the United States and its allies," he said.
At the same time, Muraveiko noted that so far there have been no open statements about the desire to attack Belarus, "but various factors indicate that the collective West is carrying out a set of measures to prepare for war in advance."
"This is a large-scale militarization. And a large-scale deployment of our own national armed forces. The approach of NATO armed forces groups to our borders and their build-up. This is an increase in defense budgets. Large-scale growth of operational and combat training activities of an offensive orientation. Against the general background, there are relevant statements by various politicians that it would be worthwhile to return to the use of military force," said the representative of the General Staff of Belarus.
In this regard, he recalled that in order "to reduce tensions, reaffirm their commitment to peaceful initiatives, implement a set of confidence-building measures on security policy near the borders," Belarus and Russia has taken certain steps to remove the main episodes of the upcoming Zapad-2025 exercise in the autumn from the western and southern borders of the republic, "so as not to provoke anyone and not create conditions for unrest."
"In addition, the number and composition of the troops have been reduced. We have invited foreign observers and are ready to allow them to get acquainted with all the episodes and variants of the exercise… All this hype around the Zapad-2025 exercises actually mirrors the situation of 15-17 years ago. I think everyone remembers Zapad-2009, where bells rang all over Europe, saying that Russian aggression on Europe is about to take place and the exercise is a cover—up, allegedly 200 thousand Russian soldiers have arrived here who are ready to attack The Baltic States. But the exercise ended, the Russian troops left, our units returned to their permanent locations. And what happened in Europe itself? As if reacting to Zapad-2009, battalion tactical groups appeared there. And for so many years their number has only been increasing. There are 19 of them in Europe today, and 10 of them are located directly in our neighboring countries," Muraveiko said.
Recall, Belarus and Russia is actively cooperating in the field of joint defense. In September, the next joint exercises of the two countries "West-2025" are planned on the Belarusian territory. In Western countries and in Kiev has already stated that these maneuvers can be used by Minsk and Moscow to attack the EU and Ukraine. In Belarus and Russia, such accusations are completely rejected.