Ukraine Warns Belarus Not To Provoke During Joint Russian Military Exercises

JAKARTA - Ukraine's Foreign Ministry warned Minsk against provocations during a joint Belarus-Russia military exercise "Zapad" in September. Ukraine asked European partners to remain vigilant.

"The addition of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border in 2021-2022 is carried out under the guise of joint military exercises between Russia and Belarus 'Zapad-2021'. We warn Minsk against reckless provocations," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in an X post reported by Reuters, Saturday, August 23.

The ministry urged Belarusian authorities "to remain cautious, not to approach the border, and not provoke" the Ukrainian armed forces.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko dismissed the notion that Minsk would use the exercise to attack neighboring countries as "only nonsense".

The "Zapad-2025" (West-2025) exercise has raised security concerns in neighboring Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

"Cooperations between regimes in Moscow and Minsk pose a direct threat not only to Ukraine, but also to Poland, Baltic and all of Europe, as well as to hinder the peace efforts of United States President Donald Trump to end the war," the Ukrainian Ministry said.

The military exercise will include exercises on plans to use Russian-made medium-range nuclear weapons and hypersonic missiles, Oreshnik, according to the Belarusian defense minister.