MINSK, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Belarus has defended recent joint nuclear deterrence exercises with Russia as a direct response to NATO's aggressive military expansion along its borders, Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Sekreta said Thursday.
At a briefing with foreign diplomats, Sekreta and a Belarusian Defense Ministry official stressed that the drills were legal under international law and aimed at ensuring regional security.
The official cited Poland, Lithuania and Latvia's combined defense budgets, which exceed Belarus' by 25 times, as a justification for the security measures.
Belarus framed the exercises as a preventive step to avoid an arms race while reaffirming its commitment to de-escalation and dialogue, he added, reiterating that all actions remain transparent and proportional.
