The Defense Minister of Russia Sergei Shoigu said on August 9, 2013 that United States officials agreed to observe the military drills at Zapad 2013.

Shoigu told the media that Russia invited the U.S. to the drills and that the Americans accepted the invitation. He also added that the U.S. was eager to attend the upcoming event.

The Russian Defense Minister also stated that Russia was keen to expand the practice of inviting foreign officials for such activities. According to Minister Shoigu, such activities help in building mutual trust between different countries, which was the main goal of the invitations.

Shoigu also stated that the exercises were scheduled to test the physical fitness of the troops and make certain that they had the skills required for their jobs. The task was not to prepare for attacking another country.