The US Army will station an adviser within Armenia’s Defense Ministry, marking a significant shift as relations between Armenia and Russia deteriorate, a US diplomat has confirmed.
“It’s a welcome development,” stated Uzra Zeya, the Biden administration’s undersecretary of state for civilian security, democracy, and human rights, in an interview with Armenian news outlet Hetq.
“We welcome deepening defense and civilian security cooperation between the US and Armenia. This is part of the spirit embodied in the historic upgrade in U.S.-Armenia relations to a strategic partnership.”
Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a security alliance led by Russia and often referred to as a “mini-NATO”. The CSTO also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
However, tensions have been rising within the alliance. Last month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed his desire to withdraw from the CSTO, accusing the alliance of failing to fulfill its “contractual obligations”.
In September 2023, Azerbaijan reclaimed the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, causing many ethnic Armenians to flee. Despite decades of Armenian-backed governance, the area is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
“Armenia’s CSTO membership is something only the Armenian government can decide,” Zeya remarked, adding that Washington sees “nothing to indicate that Russia‘s military presence contributes to a more peaceful and stable South Caucasus region.”
While Russia maintains military bases in Armenia, Pashinyan indicated in an October 2023 interview with the Wall Street Journal that he saw no benefit to Russia‘s military presence following Azerbaijan’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In May, Russia agreed to reduce its troop presence in Armenia. This past April, US Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien noted that security and defense discussions between the US and Armenia had “significantly” expanded, with the US planning to introduce an adviser to assist the Armenian Defense Ministry.
Earlier this week, joint US-Armenia military drills commenced in Yerevan, highlighting the growing cooperation between the two nations.
“As I look out on this parade ground and the large number of US and Armenian soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in formation, it is very clear just how much our bilateral cooperation has grown,” Kvien said during the opening ceremony for the Eagle Partner 24 exercises.
The drills, which are spread across Armenia, will continue until July 24, according to the US military.
In September 2023, Moscow condemned the joint exercises between Armenia and the US Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described the drills as “regrettable,” adding: “We see little good from an aggressive NATO country trying to infiltrate into South Caucasus. I don’t think this is good for anyone, including Armenia itself.”