Russia Slams US-Georgia Military Exercises

Russia criticized the military exercises of the United States and neighboring Georgia by claiming this step could destabilize the region.

Foreign Ministry of Russia said on May 6 that the planned military drills are provocative steps in Caucasus region: “We consider such a consistent ‘exploration’ of Georgian territory by NATO forces to be a provocative step, aimed at deliberately rocking the military-political situation in the South Caucasus,” Sputnik reports.

Recently the US army has deployed battle tanks in Georgia for military exercises. Georgia said that it is an important step for Georgian army’s abilities to reach NATO standards.

Sputnik reported that the exercises which will include 650 US troops, 150 British troops and 500 soldiers of the Georgian army, is part of a series of exercises that has been carried out by Western powers in Eastern Europe. The Georgian troops participating will include a company that is part of the NATO Response Force and the exercise will be held at the alliance’s new facility in Vaziani, despite the fact that the country is not officially a member.