Transatlantic TakeBERLIN — Next week, Russia will launch a large-scale military exercise. Titled Zapad (West), these war games take place every four years. They typically assume a NATO attack on Russia’s ally Belarus, and they train the militaries of both countries to repel such an attack. The core components of the exercises take place in Belarus, adjacent Russian territory, and the Kaliningrad region, but they can reach far beyond that area. Yet, throughout the long history of these maneuvers, rarely has there been as much Western and regional anxiety as in the run-up to this year’s edition. Just why exactly …read more
Western Anxiety Over Zapad 2017 — Justified or Not?
