Putin observes war games with Belarus that worry neighbors

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has observed military exercises in coordination with Belarus that have raised concerns in bordering countries. Putin on Monday attended exercises at a training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region, 450 kilometers (275 miles) east of Moscow. The exercises included what the Defense Ministry said was the first use in a combat environment of two new robotic fighting vehicles equipped with machine guns and grenade launchers. The Zapad (West)-2021 exercises at sites in Russia and Belarus involve about 200,000 soldiers. The foreign ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia on Monday expressed concerns about the maneuvers, saying Russia has not been transparent about them and noting they come amid heightened Western tensions with Belarus.