MINSK, 8 October (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko commented on Nato's plans to hold the exercise on the border with Belarus at the international conference "European Security: Stepping Back from the Brink" in the Belarusian capital on 8 October, BelTA has learned.
The head of state noted that he was surprised to read about Nato's plans to hold the exercise in the spring right near Belarus' border.
“In terms of numbers (we know what they state today but are not sure what will happen in fact; the numbers will be probably two or even three times higher) no such exercises have been held near our borders,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “You know what rhetorical question we can ask in this regard. I don't know who will benefit from it.”
The day before the German Spiegel reported that the exercise called DEFENDER-Europe 20 will be held in Poland and the Baltic states. This will be the largest movement of combat force of soldiers and equipment from the United States to Europe in 25 years. The logistics hub of the exercise will be Germany.
It is planned that 37,000 soldiers from 19 states will take part in the exercise. The goal is to increase readiness within NATO and deter potential adversaries, U.S. military said.
