The Swedish government decided to invite foreign observers to military exercises Aurora-2017, which will be held in the Kingdom from 11 to 29 September 2017. This is stated in a special message posted on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The document stated that invitations sent to countries bordering the Baltic sea, as well as States, “which have interests in the region”: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, UK, Germany, Russia, USA and Belarus.
6 June it was reported that the Belarusian authorities demanded an explanation from Vilnius in connection with the statements of the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, who called Belarus and Russia a threat to Poland and the Baltic States. Earlier in the day Grybauskaite called the main threat to the Baltic republics and Poland the existence of Russia and Belarus in the East. “Plus the militarization of the Kaliningrad region, plus use of the territory of Belarus for various experiments and aggressive games against the West,” she added.
In February, the President of Lithuania said that is scheduled for September of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises “West-2017” demonstrate the preparation of Minsk and Moscow to war with the West. Later, the press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov called the words about the possibility of an attack on the Baltic countries Russophobia. He added that the Kremlin such manifestations of anti-Russian sentiment to be deplored.