Putin's allies set for mega wargames as NATO 'provocations' trigger bigger conflict threat

As the Ukraine war is set to enter its second year, Russia has warned against NATO's direct involvement in a conflict against Moscow, which is "becoming more obvious by the day." The warning came after NATO's Secretary General openly said that "war didn't start in February 2022 but has been ongoing since 2014." Russia has significantly increased its operations in Ukraine. And now, key Russian allies are all set to take part in a joint military drill that comes amid the growing threat of a bigger conflict as NATO continues to "provoke." Belarus, a close Russian ally, will host this year’s collective security treaty organisation (CSTO) military exercises, said the head of the regional defence alliance. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan will all participate in the mega joint military exercise amid the growing threat of a bigger conflict.