Russia and Belarus boost defensive cooperation
Published: 29 September, 2009, 22:49
Edited: 06 October, 2009, 06:01
Belarus, Baranovichi : Belarussian soldiers march with dogs in a parade during the joint Russian-Belarussian military exercises "West-2009" at the Obuz-Lesnovsky firing range near Baranovichi on September 29, 2009. The exercises involve more than 12,000 troops, over 200 tanks, 470 armoured vehicles, and more than 100 aircraft. (AFP Photo / Viktor Drachev)
(8.9Mb) embed videoTAGS: Arms, Military, NATO, Russia
Russia and Belarus have wrapped up the final day of joint military exercises that began on September 18. Presidents Dmitry Medvedev and Aleksandr Lukashenko have agreed to hold similar exercises every two years.
At the closing ceremony, Medvedev said the exercises underlined the cooperation between the two countries.
“These exercises show that our partner relations are growing stronger,” Medvedev said.
He also stressed the defensive nature of the war games, which according to Medvedev were “in line with the international law.”
Known as “Zapad 2009” (or “West 2009”), the war games became the largest in which Russian forces have participated in the past 30 years.
Almost 14,000 troops took part in the exercises from both Russia and Belarus, along with a record number of military machines: more than 200 tanks, over a 100 jets and helicopters, and almost 500 armored fighting vehicles.
The location for these war games was Belarus, some 200 kilometers from the country's border with NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
In Russia, the maneuvers were held in the country's most western region, Kaliningrad, which is also surrounded by NATO-member states.
“If you look at the states bordering Belarus, you understand we are talking about the NATO troops,” said political analyst Vladimir Evseev said. “But such a view is not correct, as Russia has been building a partnership with NATO. Thus it would probably be wrong to view NATO as the reason for these military exercises.”
The scenario is a well-armed enemy attacking Belarus with its air force and artillery. The two countries have stressed the event has a defensive focus only. The exercise tested the Russian-Belarusian integrated air-defense system, which they agreed to establish in February.
These exercises are part of a series Russia has recently conducted along its frontiers: in the north, in the Caucasus and on the Russian-Chinese border. West 2009, like the others, is aimed at testing Russia’s army, which is undergoing a massive reorganization at the moment.
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I remember recently 1000 NATO troops engaged in war games in Georgia, And what a hue and cry that coursed in Moscow provocation, provocation, that’s all we heard before, during and after, Now Russia/Belarus hold manoeuvres on NATOs borders with 13000 troops and they call it purely defensive the word hypocrites springs to mind. What a waist of time and money I suggest the Russians hold war games on their Siberian boarder where there is a far higher level of threat from Chinese incursions, To be honest most people in the EU are unimpressed and unmoved by this, it has received no western media attention. We know this sabre rattling is meaningless unlike the paranoid Russians who see threats everywhere. Strangely the only real protests have come from within Belarus as many believe this sabre rattling could spoil the relationship they are building with the EU.Unlike Russia in 20 years time they do not want to find themselves on the wrong side of history.
Your comparison between NATO war games in Georgia and Russia-Belarus war games in Belarus is completely wrong and misleading. First, Georgia is NOT a NATO member, and shall not become one, at least not in foreseeable future. Second, Belarus IS member of CSTO, a military block of 7 ex Soviet republics including Russia and Belarus. Third, NATO, a military block for the North Atlantic region, does not have a mandate to guarantee security on the post Soviet space. To say it metaphorically - there is no Atlantic on the western Belarus borders. And finally speaking about "history" and those who "do not want to find themselves on the wrong side of history" I will remind you that none of the Central European countries, ex members of the Warsaw Pact, would have been in NATO if Russia hadn't given them freedom. It was NOT West, nor EU nor USA nor NATO who gave Poland or Czech Republic or Romania or Latvia freedom, neither from Hitler nor from USSR, but it was Soviet Russia which decided on its own decision to pull out from Central Europe in hope than giving these countries full independence would bring stability and prosperity. Not a single NATO infantry solider died for the freedom of any of ex communist countries! It was Russia's good will to gave them freedom! Also Russia has always been on the right "side of history", at least when conflicts due to the western aggression are concerned. Russia has always loved freedom and independence and never regretted to give millions of lives for freedom. Teutonic Knights, Napoleon, Hitler and many, many other western aggressors learned this lesson. NATO also had opportunity to learn that lesson in August 2008. However NATO decided to demonstrate "Hollywood bravery" in war GAMES in Georgia many months later instead of REAL bravery in REAL life in August 2008. It looks like proNATO actions are possible only in Hollywood movies and internet forums and internet blogs where people could write childish comments.