Surprise Guests: US Observers Attend Russia-Belarus Zapad-2025 Drills

On Monday, September 15, American military officers were present at the ongoing Russian-Belarusian military drills, Zapad-2025, in a move described as unexpected by Belarusian officials. The exercises, which began on September 12 and continue until September 16 across Belarus and western Russia, have traditionally raised concerns among NATO’s eastern members, including Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin welcomed the U.S. officers, telling them they could observe “whatever is of interest for you,” adding that they were free to visit training grounds and speak with personnel. The Defense Ministry described their attendance as a surprise and emphasized the transparency of the drills, noting observers from 23 countries, including two other NATO members, Turkey and Hungary. Footage released by Minsk showed the U.S. officers in uniform shaking hands with Khrenin and thanking him for the invitation, although they declined to speak with journalists.

The participation of U.S. officers signals a subtle warming of relations between Washington and Belarus, a close Russian ally that enabled Moscow to deploy tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022. In recent weeks, the U.S. lifted sanctions on Belarusian state airline Belavia, while Minsk released 52 political prisoners, including an EU delegation employee, following discussions with a U.S. delegation led by presidential envoy John Cole.

While officially described as defensive, the Zapad exercises have long stoked concern in Europe. This year’s drills have been scaled down and relocated further from NATO borders, though Warsaw closed all crossings with Belarus as the exercises commenced. NATO remains on high alert, wary of the strategic signal sent by Belarus and Russia. Khrenin stressed that the drills are conducted openly, asserting that the country has nothing to hide.

The presence of U.S. observers highlights both a cautious engagement by Washington with Minsk and ongoing tensions in the region. Analysts note that, despite Belarusian assurances, the exercises remain a tool of military pressure against NATO’s eastern flank, especially given the precedent of Russian forces launching attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory during the 2022 invasion.