Elena Teslova
21 May 2026•Update: 21 May 2026
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises involving nuclear weapons were intended as “a signal.”
“Any exercises are part of military development, and any exercises are a signal,” Peskov told reporters.
Russia and Belarus are holding joint drills this week from Tuesday through Thursday.
Earlier this week, the Belarusian government said the exercises included training related to the delivery of nuclear munitions and preparations for their potential use in combat.
Peskov also described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China this week as “highly substantive and productive.”
He said Russia and China had made progress in negotiations on the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project.
“Indeed, progress has been achieved, and understanding has been reached on many key details of the Power of Siberia 2 issue,” Peskov said. “Progress can and should be acknowledged.”
At the same time, he said the sides had not yet reached the stage of finalizing an agreement and still needed to resolve “a number of nuances.”
According to Peskov, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed Ukraine during talks in Beijing, and China remained willing to help Russia and Ukraine move toward a peaceful settlement.
Peskov also dismissed Western media reports claiming that several hundred Russian soldiers had undergone training in China.
Commenting on Ukraine’s recent strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, he said the Kremlin saw no risk of fuel shortages in the country.
The Kremlin spokesman also welcomed remarks by European leaders suggesting that dialogue with Russia would eventually be necessary.
“The Russians are ready for dialogue,” he said, adding that “talking is always better than moving toward total confrontation.”
Peskov said discussions in Europe about possible negotiations with Russia remained largely theoretical and that no concrete proposals had been made at the official level.
