Russia–Belarus military drill seen as political signal

The upcoming Russia–Belarus military exercise Zapad 2025 (West 2025) should be viewed not only as practical training, but also as a political signal to Europe and the West, according to security analysts cited by the Czech News Agency. They expect the drill to be smaller than in previous years, but say Moscow will likely use it to demonstrate its nuclear capabilities and remind Europe of its readiness to use force. The last Zapad exercise took place in autumn 2021 and served as preparation for the invasion of Ukraine. Experts argue that there is no immediate danger of an attack on Europe at present since Russia cannot conduct two full-scale operations simultaneously.