Polish Foreign Ministry: NATO should turn attention to military maneuvers of Russia and Belarus
- 12.11.2009, 17:18
Once again Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski attracts attention of the international community to the Belarusian-Russian military exercises near the Polish border.
Radoslaw Sikorski stated about that on Thursday on air of Polish Radio. He also informed that he has written about that in the letter to Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO Secretary General.
“We want to have the best possible relations with Russia… But when Russia carries out its exercises near our borders, we are concerned by that, and we really have informed the alliance and what them to take that in consideration,” the Polish minister said.
Last week mass media quoted words of Sikorski who said that according to him, Central Europe needs “strategic invigoration” by Washington, and military potential would be more convincing than just words.
Joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad 2009 (West 2009) have taken place on September 18-29. About 12,500 troops have taken part in it. About 6,000 Russian troops participated in them. 40 aircrafts and 200 military machines took part in the drills.
As charter97.org website informed, on November 1 a British newspaper Telegraph with a reference to Polish magazine Wprost wrote that during recent joint Belarusian-Russian military drills West 2009, an amphibious landing on the Polish coast and the firing of nuclear weapons were simulated.
In late October military drills West 2009 was criticized by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet.
“The military exercises near the borders of the Baltic states demonstrate that Russia still uses significant means for struggle with the NATO,” Estonian Foreign Minister said at Riga Conference.
“The drills held by Russia near the borders of the Baltic states were the largest over ten years, and their aim was “to cut off the three Baltic states from the NATO,” Estonian Foreign Minister said.
Latvian Defense Minister Imants Liegis also said that the scenario of West 2009 military exercise included intervention in the Baltic states as a part of freeing “Kaliningrad in blockade”.