NATO: Russian-Belarusian Zapad-2017 exercises look like a preparation for a big war
The joint "Zapad-2017" large-scale military exercises by Russia and Belarus, which are being held from September 14 to September 20, are similar to preparations for a big war, stated the Chairman of the Military Committee of NATO, General Petr Pavel, Delfi news agency reports.
"In general, what we see is serious preparation for a big war," he said.
The NATO general added that "if we look at the exercises in the way that Russia represents them, there would be no disturbances. But if we look at them more widely, then we should have concerns, since these exercises are not completely ‘transparent’. "
According to Pavel, the Alliance has stepped up its desire to restore military ties with Russia, so as to avoid "undesirable potential incidents" during maneuvers.
"We have a high concentration of military forces in the Baltic countries and in the Black Sea, so the potential for incidents is potentially high because of human or technical error," the general said. "We must be sure that there will not be an escalation of the conflict as a result of accidental incidents ".
The Czech general also recalled that, despite Moscow's claims that "NATO is not considered an enemy" and that "the exercises are not directed against the Alliance," Russia did not comply with the established principle of maneuvering. The Russian Federation claims that about 12,700 servicemen are taking part in the exercises; however, according to Petr Pavel, 70 to 100 thousand military personnel are involved in Zapad-2017.
During his visit to Kyiv, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko guaranteed that the territory of his country would not be used to invade Ukraine.
President Petro Poroshenko has previously considered the military exercise "Zapad-2017" to be a threat to Ukraine.