MINSK – An upcoming Belarus-Russia military drills, Zapad 2025, have no plans to attack anyone, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday.

Belarus is ready for the exercise and not hiding anything from anyone, Lukashenko said during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in Minsk, adding that this exercise is military drills and defensive in nature.

The Belarusian leader said his country is ready to accept Russian troops and conduct the exercises of joint group of forces of the Union State of Belarus and Russia.

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He stressed his army will comply with the advanced methods of modern war and resistance, taking into account the experience of the special military operation and new principles.

Lukashenko also thanked the Russian defense minister for the training of Belarusian military specialists in everything that Russians learn.

For his part, Belousov said Russia and Belarus are not just allies, but have a common defense space, which they are strengthening due to an acute international situation and which they must strengthen as quickly as possible.

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The joint Belarus-Russia exercise Zapad 2025 is scheduled to take place in mid-September simultaneously in the two countries.