Are Russia's Zapad-17 Military Games Preparing For War Against The West?
- 7 years ago
In the continuing effort to worry the U.S. and its NATO allies, Russia is currently conducting the Zapad-17 military games alongside Belarus in what could be the largest display of Russian military might since the Cold War.
The games are held against fictional countries, but NATO worries they’re thinly-disguised stand-ins for its Baltic allies, like Lithuania and Latvia.
Moscow officials say its troops will leave Belarus when the games end, but the U.S. and its NATO allies aren’t so convinced. They argue Russia could use Zapad-17 to move permanent troops into Belarus, making it easier for them to invade other countries in the future.
The games are held against fictional countries, but NATO worries they’re thinly-disguised stand-ins for its Baltic allies, like Lithuania and Latvia.
Moscow officials say its troops will leave Belarus when the games end, but the U.S. and its NATO allies aren’t so convinced. They argue Russia could use Zapad-17 to move permanent troops into Belarus, making it easier for them to invade other countries in the future.