The nuclear exercises in the Minsk region coincide with President Donald Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced Wednesday that nuclear weapons exercises practicing deployment will soon be held near Borisov in the Minsk Region, occurring as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in the United States.Why It Matters
The latest nuclear exercises follow Russia’s formal revision to its own nuclear doctrine in late 2024, to lower the threshold for potential use of nuclear weapons—a change that Western officials and analysts said was meant to deter expanded military support for Ukraine.
Belarus has been one of Russia’s staunchest allies throughout the yearslong war between Russia and Ukraine that escalated when Putin invaded sovereign territory across the border in Eastern Europe.
Putin and Trump are slated to meet one-on-one this Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska—the largest military facility the state—as the world leaders intend to discuss options for ending the conflict in Ukraine that began in February 2022. European venues such as Vienna and Geneva were ruled out as a meeting spot due to the legal risks of hosting Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes.
In July, Trump and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev engaged in a back-and-forth about a peace deal and nuclear provocations, with Trump telling Putin’s confidant that he should « watch his words » and that he is straying into « dangerous territory. »What To Know
Khrenin said Wednesday that main troop maneuvers for the Belarus-Russia Zapad-2025 exercises would include use of the Oreshnik system, according to Belarusian and Russian state media.
The primary active events and troop operations for Zapad-2025 would be concentrated on training grounds near Borisov in the Minsk Region, with the larger exercise set for September 12-16, according to Belarusian officials.
