From “Vultures Are Circling” to “We’re Only Defending”. How Belarusian Media Covered Exercises “Zapad‑2025”

For the Belarusian regime, the “Zapad‑2025” exercises required a triple balancing act — to demonstrate loyalty to Moscow, to avoid frightening Belarusians with the specter of war, and to prevent escalation with neighboring NATO states Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.





