Russia and Belarus began joint nuclear drills on Monday, involving the preparation and use of nuclear munitions. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy warned of a potential new offensive from Belarus, while the Kremlin dismissed the claims as incitement. The exercises occur amid heightened nuclear rhetoric from Russia and the expiration of the New START treaty.
Leonid Slutsky said that it dangerous, first of all, for Poland and France
Russia warns it is closely monitoring France and Poland's discussions about joint military exercises as part of French forward nuclear deterrence, calling the plans openly provocative and cynical, especially ahead of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference on April 27.
Russia warns that planned France-Poland joint nuclear exercises over the Baltic Sea would amount to nuclear suicide against a country with the world's best air defenses. Russian parliamentary committee chairman Andrey Kartapolov said the drills cannot intimidate Moscow but will further damage already strained relations with Paris and Warsaw.
Deputy Chairman of Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev claims European leaders are actively promoting narratives about a hypothetical war with Moscow, while France and Poland are preparing for joint nuclear exercises. Speaking on his Max channel, Medvedev questioned whether NATO's Article 5 would be triggered and whether the US would support Europe in such a scenario.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met in Gdańsk on Monday to discuss joint nuclear exercises as part of France's expanded European deterrence strategy. Poland has joined a select group of countries invited by France to cooperate on nuclear deterrence, which also includes Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden. France, the EU's only nuclear power, announced earlier this year a historic shift allowing allied participation in nuclear drills while maintaining final control in Paris. The leaders also signed defense agreements including a planned Polish purchase of a French military telecoms satellite and a bilateral cooperation plan for 2026-2028.
