Experts: Signing an agreement with the US is a publicity stunt by the Armenian authorities
The leadership of Armenia is attempting to find allies to help counter the tandem of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Izvestia writes. As noted however, there are still numerous issues to be addressed. None of the European countries have guaranteed military assistance to Yerevan. While the strategic partnership agreement with the U.S. seemingly mentions coordination of defense efforts, it lacks any notion like the close alliances Washington has with Israel, Japan, or South Korea.
Moreover, a significant question looms regarding the fate of this agreement under Donald Trump’s administration. Nikolay Silaev, an expert on Caucasian issues and regional security, described the signing of the agreement with the U.S. as a publicity stunt by the Armenian authorities that will not impact the security situation in any meaningful way. “This will be big news within Armenia. The authorities will use it for self-promotion, showing that they are doing a lot for security. In fact, this will not help Yerevan at all since there are no binding commitments. Overall, Armenia’s foreign policy has often been symbolic in recent years. They symbolically leave the CSTO while legally remaining members of the organization, and now they are symbolically reaching some agreement with the U.S. All of this could lead to a painful awakening, as the threats from Azerbaijan are rather real,” Silaev noted.
In an interview with Vzglyad, political analyst Stanislav Tkachenko noted that it is highly undesirable for Moscow to have American military personnel operating in Armenia, as this would create tension in a region where the interests of Russia, Iran, and Turkey are getting intertwined. “Moreover, the United States is likely to influence the negotiation process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, the most unpleasant aspect for Russia is the direct military contacts between Armenia and the U.S. Thus, it turns out that Yerevan is allowing the U.S. to be present in a region where Iranian and Russian interests converge. This will create tension,” the expert predicted. He added that Armenia is effectively harming its own industry and exports.
