Poland is shutting down its border with Belarus due to the Zapad military exercises, as reported by the Prime Minister.
The upcoming Zapad-2025 military exercises, scheduled to take place in western Russia and Belarus, have raised security concerns among NATO member states, particularly Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
The exercises, which are set to begin in Belarus on Friday, will primarily involve soldiers from Russia, Belarus, and allied countries such as Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Congo, Mali, India, Iran, Niger, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. Notably, no NATO states besides Poland and Lithuania will be participating.
The maneuvers, considered aggressive from a military doctrine perspective, will take place very close to the Polish border. In response, Poland has announced that it will close its border with Belarus at midnight local time on Thursday. This border closure includes railway crossings and is in connection with the Zapad maneuvers.
The Russian-made, intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile is expected to be used in the Zapad-2025 exercises. Moreover, the exercises will reportedly include drills on the possible use of nuclear weapons.
Belarusian media reported that a Polish national was arrested in Belarus on suspicion of espionage for having documents related to the Zapad-2025 exercises. However, no specific information about this incident has been directly addressed by the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, in relation to the border closure.
The border closure leaves only two operational border crossings between Poland and Belarus. The Belarusian and Russian embassies in Warsaw have not responded to emailed requests for comment regarding the Zapad-2025 exercises.
NATO will hold drills on its side of the border at the same time as the Zapad-2025 exercises. The exact nature of these drills has not been disclosed.
It's important to note that the border closure is being implemented for national security reasons, as previously stated by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The situation is being closely monitored by NATO and its member states.
Despite the security concerns, no specific information about job opportunities or the MoU with Belarus was directly related to the border closure or security concerns. The focus remains on ensuring the safety and security of the NATO member states in the region.
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