The upcoming Zapad military exercise in Belarus poses no additional threat to Lithuania, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said Tuesday, downplaying concerns raised by Ukrainian officials.
Speaking to reporters at the Seimas, Paluckas said Lithuania’s intelligence agencies, along with NATO’s, are closely monitoring preparations for the joint Russian-Belarusian drills, scheduled for September.
“All the conclusions are the same: the exercise, which is currently being organised, does not pose any problems or additional threats in terms of its scope and other aspects,” Paluckas said.
His comments came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged NATO allies to assess potential threats from Belarus this summer. Speaking in Vilnius at a meeting of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders, Zelensky said, “Ask your intelligence what Russia is planning this summer in Belarus. If they are bold enough to prepare attacks from there, then we need more strength together.”
Paluckas declined to speculate on the Ukrainian intelligence assessment, emphasising that current Lithuanian intelligence does not indicate heightened risk.
“I don’t know what information the Ukrainian intelligence service or the Ukrainian president have at their disposal, but the information that we have does not pose any additional threats, so the public should not be additionally worried and stressed,” he said.
“There’s no need to be alarmed. All the information we receive from the special services is taken very seriously, but there are no additional threats that need to be known or communicated to the public,” he added.
Earlier Tuesday, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, chairman of Lithuania’s parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence, echoed the prime minister’s remarks, saying there are no signs that Russia or Belarus are preparing to attack NATO member states.
The Zapad (meaning “West”) exercise, held every two years since 2009, is designed to test the readiness of Russian and Belarusian forces and includes both defensive and offensive scenarios. Though officially described as routine, the drills have long drawn scrutiny from neighbouring countries concerned about potential military provocations or unintended escalations.
No Zapad exercise was held in 2023, reportedly due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. British intelligence has cited a shortage of troops and equipment, as well as the Kremlin’s reluctance to showcase military strength during the conflict, as likely reasons for last year’s cancellation.
This year’s Zapad drills will coincide with Tarassis 25, the largest exercise to date of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), according to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.
In parallel, Lithuania’s Armed Forces will participate in Thunder Strike, a national defence exercise involving tactical manoeuvres at multiple sites across the country.
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