War games involving Russian and Belarusian troops on Monday spurred unease in Europe, which is already on edge after Russian drones entered Poland and Romania last week.
The games, which marked Moscow and Minsk’s first such joint exercises since 2021 — shortly before Russia used Belarus as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine — served as a message to Europe, the BBC’s Russia editor wrote: “See and consider the firepower on your doorstep; confrontation with Moscow is not in your best interest.”
Despite the tensions, two US military observers attended the exercises in Belarus, the latest sign that Washington is looking to improve ties with the Russian ally.