Latest news with #ThreeSeasSummit
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky warns Russia is 'preparing something' in Belarus under guise of military drills
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on April 29 that Russia is preparing potential military aggression under the guise of joint exercises with Belarus this summer. "Look at Belarus — this summer, Russia is preparing something there under the guise of military exercises. This is how its new attacks usually start," Zelensky said at the Three Seas Summit, according to Suspilne. "But where this time? I don't know. Ukraine? Lithuania? Poland? God forbid! But we all have to be prepared. All our institutions are open to cooperation." Belarus will host the Zapad 2025 (West 2025) military exercises with Russian forces, part of a long-standing series of drills held every two years since 2009. The most recent iteration, Zapad-2021, involved over 200,000 participants and served as a prelude to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite not being directly involved in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belarus continues to host Russian troops and missiles on its territory. Belarus shares borders with Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia, positioning it as a key strategic corridor between NATO and Moscow. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi previously said that the upcoming Zapad exercises could enable Russia to covertly assemble offensive forces under the guise of drills. Read also: Trump promised peace in 100 days, but Russia's violence against Ukraine has only escalated "All exercises have a purpose. And one of these goals is the covert creation of offensive troop groups," Syrskyi told on April 9. "The visibility of the exercises is the most acceptable way to relocate, redeploy troops, concentrate them in a certain direction, and create a group of troops." Zelensky has repeatedly cautioned that Russia may escalate military actions beyond Ukraine. On Feb. 14, during the Munich Security Conference, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin planned to deploy up to 150,000 troops, primarily in Belarus, suggesting a possible buildup for future offensives against NATO countries. "Based on all the information I've gathered from intelligence and other sources, I think he is preparing for war against NATO countries next year (2026)," Zelensky said, though he added he could not be entirely sure. Tensions between NATO and Moscow have intensified following Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine. Western leaders and intelligence agencies have warned of a risk of a larger war in Europe within the next five years, pointing to Russia's growing militarization and hostile posture. Read also: 'I don't trust a lot of people' — Trump offers contradictory views on Putin's intentions in interview on first 100 days We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Polish president asks NATO leaders to increase military spending
'There is no strong Europe without the USA and NATO, just as there is no strong NATO without a committed Europe,' Andrzej Duda wrote in a letter sent to all heads of government and countries of NATO members on Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT Polish President Andrzej Duda issued a special letter on Wednesday, asking all leaders of NATO member states to increase defence spending from 2% to at least 3% of GDP. In the letter, seen by Euronews, the Polish president marked the country's 26th year as a full-fledged member of the alliance by calling on the leaders of all 31 other member states to expand their armies and support NATO at the upcoming summit in the Netherlands. 'During my last visit to NATO HQ, I submitted an official request to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, that the issue of increasing defence spending to a minimum of 3% of GDP by all NATO members be raised at the upcoming summit in the Hague," Duda said. "We no longer have time for discussions. We need decisions. We must act now," he emphasised. The Polish president also recalled that at the last NATO summit in Washington, he was the first to talk about increased defence spending as a top priority. Recently, Duda proposed to include in the Polish Constitution a provision guaranteeing that the eastern European country will permanently allocate a minimum of 4% of its GDP for defence and security. 'From the beginning of my presidency, I wanted Poland to be perceived not just as a recipient but also a provider of security," the Polish president said, recalling that in recent years, Poland has set its sights on further developing its armed forces, increasing its numbers and modernising it. Duda, who is one of the few European politicians who maintains a good relationship with President Trump and his administration, made it clear that in his view, the US is still a pillar of NATO. 'The US was and continues to be the natural leader of the alliance," Duda wrote, adding that the strength of NATO "lies in our unity, our resolve and our readiness to act." At the end of April, Duda, whose second term ends mid-2025, will hold a special anniversary Three Seas Summit in Warsaw, to which he also plans to invite the US president. Poland became a member of NATO 26 years ago to this day, together with the Czech Republic and Hungary — marking a historic expansion for the alliance to include countries that have previously been part of the Warsaw Pact. Since then, Poland has grown into one of the alliance's leaders in Europe and a pillar of NATO's eastern flank.
