Joint military exercises between Armenian and U.S. forces commenced on Monday, signaling Armenia’s drift away from its longtime ally, Moscow.
The drills come as Armenia grows increasingly frustrated with Russia’s perceived failure to act as a security guarantor amidst escalating tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan.
“Exercise Eagle Partner’s opening ceremony has kicked off,” stated the U.S. Army’s Europe and Africa spokesperson to AFP.
The Armenian Defense Ministry stated that the exercises aim to enhance interoperability with U.S. forces in international peacekeeping missions.
The U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command announced that around 85 of its soldiers would train alongside 175 Armenian troops from September 11 to 20.
They added that the exercises would assist Armenia’s 12th Peacekeeping Brigade in meeting NATO standards ahead of an evaluation later this year.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed that Armenia’s decision to work with the U.S. instead of conducting drills with the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) required “very deep analysis”.
“Of course, we will try to comprehend and understand all this. But in any case, we will do so in close dialogue with the Armenian side,” Peskov said.
Last week, Moscow summoned Armenia’s ambassador to voice their concerns over the “unfriendly steps” the country has been taking.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that while the talks were tough, the two countries “remain allies.”
“It sounded more like a threat to Yerevan than a description of reality,” said independent political analyst Gela Vasadze.
“In fact, Russian-Armenian relations have reached a strategic impasse,” he informed AFP.
‘Weakened Russia’
In Yerevan, residents expressed frustrations over Russia’s lack of military and political support as tensions with Azerbaijan resurfaced.
27-year-old Mariam Anahamyan told AFP that Armenia had made an error by depending on Russia.
“So now let’s try with the Americans. The consequences may be bad, but not attempting at all would be even worse,” she commented.
Security guard Arthur Khachaduryan, 51, stated that “Russia failed to keep its commitments during the war and has even made our situation worse.”
He referred to a brief but violent conflict in 2020 for control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region in Azerbaijan.
Russia brokered a ceasefire and deployed approximately 2,000 peacekeepers to the Lachin corridor, which links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Nevertheless, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently claimed that Moscow was either “unable or unwilling” to control the passage.
Pashinyan’s government has accused Azerbaijan of closing the road and blockading the mountainous region, leading to a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns.
Recently, Pashinyan also argued that Armenia’s security reliance on Russia was a “strategic mistake.”
Independent analyst Arkady Dubnov stated that “weakened Russia is rapidly losing influence in its Soviet-era backyard” as it remains bogged down in its invasion and isolated from much of the international community.
“Armenians are frustrated with Russia, which failed to help them during the Karabakh war and its aftermath,” Dubnov mentioned. He added that Moscow “also seems to be lacking a clear plan, strategy in the Caucasus.”
‘New allies’
Nagorno-Karabakh has been the focal point of two wars between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
In the 1990s, Armenia defeated Azerbaijan and took control of the region, along with seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan.
Thirty years later, energy-rich Azerbaijan, bolstered by a strong military and backed by Turkey, sought revenge against its neighbor by launching another major offensive.
Following the 2020 war, Yerevan was compelled to cede several territories it had controlled for decades.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh remains volatile, and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of moving troops near the region in the past week, raising concerns of a fresh large-scale conflict.
The EU and United States have been engaged in mediating peace talks but have thus far failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, “the Kremlin has no resources — neither the will — to help Armenia and is letting Azerbaijan and Turkey pursue their objectives,” stated analyst Dubnov.
“In this situation, Armenia is trying to forge strong new alliances.”
