Representatives from two other NATO countries are also attending the Zapad-2025 exercise, according to Belarusian officials

©  Belarusian Defense Ministry / Telegram

US military officers have joined other international observers in Belarus to watch the Zapad-2025 drills with Russia, the Defense Ministry in Minsk has said. Their presence – an unusual sight at Russian-Belarusian drills – is seen as another sign of warming ties between Washington and Belarus.

On Monday, the ministry released a video showing Belarusian defense chief Viktor Khrenin shaking hands with two uniformed US service members, who thanked him in Russian for the invitation. 

“We will show whatever is of interest to you. Whatever you want. You can go there and see, talk to people,” the minister told the American officers. 

In total, representatives from 23 countries, including NATO members – the US, Türkiye and Hungary – are present at the exercise, which is running between September 12 and 16. Moscow and Minsk have both said the drills are defensive in nature. 

Khrenin noted that Russia and Belarus are being extremely transparent about the exercise. “The main reason is that we have nothing to hide. Secondly, we are interested in reducing tensions in the Eastern European region and are taking real practical steps to achieve this,” he said.

Valery Revenko, a senior Belarusian defense official, accused Western countries of stirring “hysteria” and making “unfounded accusations” that Zapad-2025 is aimed at preparing for a conflict with the West. He said that to ease concerns, Belarus scaled back some elements of the drills, cutting troop numbers and equipment and relocating many activities deeper inside the country. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that Zapad-2025 is “not aimed against any state” while describing the criticism from European capitals as “emotional overload.” 

The visit by the unidentified US servicemen comes as President Donald Trump has pursued diplomacy with both Russia and Belarus in a bid to restore relations and lay the groundwork for settling the Ukraine conflict. 

Earlier this month, Minsk released more than 50 prisoners – including those accused of stirring unrest and organizing unauthorized protests – after a deal with Washington under which the US granted sanctions relief to the national airline Belavia.