Belarus Defence Ministry claims NATO military exercises 'lack minimal transparency'

Amid the ongoing brutal war in Eastern Europe, the Belarusian Defence Ministry claimed that military exercises of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "lack minimal signs of transparency." "The exercise 'Defender Europe-2022' has been in the active phase for almost a week now. At the same time, none of the participating States is considering the possibility of giving it at least a minimal sign of transparency," Valery Revenko, Head of the Department of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, wrote in a Twitter post.

Under 'Defender Europe-2022,' NATO Allies and partners are participating in a series of long-planned military exercises spanning the High North to the Balkans to bolster NATO troops' readiness and interoperability. "Defender Europe" and "Swift Response" are two of the biggest drills, with over 18,000 troops from as many as twenty countries participating in them. They include parachute drops and helicopter attacks in North Macedonia, which are currently taking place in Poland and eight other nations. According to a NATO spokesperson, exercises like these demonstrate that "NATO is strong and ready to safeguard the alliance and defend against any danger."

NATO claims its exercises are defensive, transparent

"These are regular exercises, planned well before Russia’s brutal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. They help to remove any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding about our resolve to protect and defend every inch of Allied territory. NATO exercises are defensive, transparent, and in line with our international commitments," spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed that "NATO is aggressively building up military muscles" and acting on the principle "whoever is not with us is against us." Speaking at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in Moscow on May 17, Lukashenko stated that NATO is aggressively carrying out a demonstration of its weapons near the country's western frontiers and that the alliance is also bringing formerly neutral countries into its fold. 

Belarus buys S-400 air defence systems from Russia: Report

It is significant to mention here that the Belarusian government has also claimed to have purchased Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and S-400 air defence systems from Russia. President Lukashenko stated that he negotiated a deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and purchased as many Iskander missiles and S-400 systems as his country required.

Notably, Belarus' army is said to have been armed with the latest weapons. "It is a totally different army now, thanks to such weapons," President Lukashenko said, NHK World reported citing Belarus' state-run news agency.