Overview

• India deployed a 65-member contingent to the Russian–Belarusian Zapad 2025 exercises from 10–16 September, with its defence ministry citing goals of interoperability and conventional and counter-terror training.
• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said military engagement with Moscow and continued Russian oil purchases hinder deeper cooperation, though she acknowledged the EU does not expect a complete Indian decoupling from Russia as FTA talks target late 2025.
• India’s foreign ministry countered that several countries, including NATO members such as the United States, Türkiye and Hungary, attended as observers, framing the drills as routine multilateral engagement.
• Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova welcomed India’s participation and dismissed Western concerns as unfounded pressure, stressing that Moscow–New Delhi defence ties are not aimed at third countries.
• European security agencies kept a close watch on the exercises near NATO borders after recent drone incidents in Poland, while independent analysts assessed Zapad 2025 as smaller and less innovative than past iterations.