The issue of Russia's air base deployment in Belarus is now widely discussed in NATO countries.
Russia's president Vladimir Putin ordered the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Defence Ministry to open the necessary talks with Minsk. Last month Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia was planning to station a wing of fighter jets at a military airbase in Belarus.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia are sure that Russian airbase in Belarus would fuel tension in the region. Is there any reason to worry about?
In reality the Russian airbase in Belarus is not directed against NATO and should not be seen as threat to any state. Russia and Belarus has a unified military space and no wonder that they will protect their borders and it makes no difference if Russian or Belarusian planes are located there.
"When the military infrastructure is moving towards borders, this always evokes questions. Russia and Belarus protect their borders," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said said on Friday. Moreover, it is surprising, why hysteria about the airbase is increasing. The agreement on setting up a Russian airbase that Belarus and Russia are going to sign is the implementation of the bilateral arrangements made in 2009.

Quote from: wiktorkovalski on September 29, 2015, 04:19:50 AM
The issue of Russia's air base deployment in Belarus is now widely discussed in NATO countries.
Russia's president Vladimir Putin ordered the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Defence Ministry to open the necessary talks with Minsk. Last month Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russia was planning to station a wing of fighter jets at a military airbase in Belarus.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia are sure that Russian airbase in Belarus would fuel tension in the region. Is there any reason to worry about?
In reality the Russian airbase in Belarus is not directed against NATO and should not be seen as threat to any state. Russia and Belarus has a unified military space and no wonder that they will protect their borders and it makes no difference if Russian or Belarusian planes are located there.
"When the military infrastructure is moving towards borders, this always evokes questions. Russia and Belarus protect their borders," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said said on Friday. Moreover, it is surprising, why hysteria about the airbase is increasing. The agreement on setting up a Russian airbase that Belarus and Russia are going to sign is the implementation of the bilateral arrangements made in 2009.

You make a valid point about allies making agreements about their mutual concerns. Using the same logic why should Putin get bent out of shape if NATO assists the Baltic states with their defenses?