NATO’s 32 member countries are meeting in Washington for a summit on Tuesday, focusing on providing further military and financial support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, China and Belarus have commenced joint military exercises near the border of NATO-member Poland, coinciding with the eve of the alliance’s summit. In July 2024, Belarus became a full Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member.
The manoeuvres, named Falcon Assault, will continue until July 19 at a training ground near the city of Brest in southwest Belarus, close to the Polish border.
It’s worth mentioning that the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus offered its territory to Russia for Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to a statement from the Belarusian defence ministry, in the framework of “anti-terrorist exercises,” military personnel from both countries will focus on night landing, overcoming water obstacles, and conducting operations in populated areas.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense also stated that the drills aim to improve troops’ coordination capabilities and strengthen practical cooperation between the two armies.
Belarus and China also have close trade ties. Belarus is a significant channel for Chinese goods entering Europe, and it exports agricultural and food products to China.
Last year, Belarus created an immigration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, leading to refugees illegally entering Polish territory in an attempt to destabilise the country.
