EU on Russia-Belarus War Games: Every State May Hold Drills Under Int'l Accords

The EU considers that every country has a right to hold military exercises, commenting on the upcoming Russia-Belarus Zapad-2017 ("West-2017") military drills.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — The European Union considers that every country has a right to hold military exercises within the framework of international agreements, Luc Devigne, director for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia and OSCE at the European External Action Service (EEAS), said Monday, commenting on the upcoming Russia-Belarus Zapad-2017 ("West-2017") military drills.

"Concerning Zapad, we believe that every nation has a right to decide [on] its forces, including with allies and partners, when it happens in a predictable transparent way and in accordance with international agreements, including those of the OSCE of which, obviously, Russia remains a member," Devigne said at the European Parliament.

The joint Russia-Belarus military drills are scheduled for September 14-20. The exercises will stretch from the Kola Peninsula in Russia's far northwest all the way down to Belarus. About 12,700 servicemen (including 5,500 Russians), some 70 planes and helicopters, and up to 680 units of military equipment will be involved in the drills.

A number of NATO member states and Ukraine have repeatedly expressed their concerns over the upcoming exercises. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia and Belarus in late August to ensure the transparency of Zapad-2017 and its compliance with international agreements, adding that military drills were to be subject to international inspection.

On August 25, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the Western media hype around the Zapad-2017 drills was artificial and aimed at justifying the costs of building up NATO’s military activity in the Baltic states.