Zapad-2025: Is there a threat to Ukraine from the Belarusian direction - clarification

According to the message from the head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation Andrey Kovalenko, there are currently no military threats to Ukraine from Belarus. The mentioned exercises called 'Zapad-2025', despite the participation of Russia, do not pose a threat to Ukraine as they are being controlled.

Representative of the State Border Guard Service Andrey Demchenko reported that the planned joint military exercises 'Zapad 2025' are to take place in mid-September 2025. During these exercises, there may be demonstrative actions from Belarus.

'Russia is conducting joint military exercises with Belarus to escalate the psychosis so that Ukraine's European partners reduce pressure on the aggressor country. Moscow intimidates Europeans by concentrating such forces at their borders and thereby tries to reduce assistance to Ukraine, diverting their forces to the eastern-northern NATO border,' noted Nikolai Sungurovsky, director of military programs at the Razumkov Center.

Zapad-2025 may be not only exercises but also informational and political actions by Russia aimed at influencing the situation in the region and diverting attention from Ukraine. Cooperation between Russia and Belarus in this context may lead to the deployment of additional international efforts in support of Ukraine and strengthening the country's defense capabilities.