INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Joint military exercises between Armenian and U.S
forces began on Monday, the latest sign of Yerevan's drift from its longtime ally Moscow.The drills come amid mounting frustration in
Armenia over what it sees as Russia's failure to act as a security guarantor as tensions escalate with neighboring Azerbaijan."Exercise
Eagle Partner's opening ceremony has kicked off," the U.S
Army's Europe and Africa spokesperson told AFP.Armenia's Defense Ministry said the exercises aimed to "increase the level of
interoperability" with U.S
forces in international peacekeeping missions.The U.S
Army Europe and Africa Command said around 85 of its soldiers would train with 175 Armenian troops on Sept
11-20.It added that the exercises would help Armenia's 12th Peacekeeping Brigade meet NATO standards ahead of an evaluation later this
year.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Armenia's decision to work with the U.S
will try to comprehend and understand all this
But in any case, we will do so in close dialogue with the Armenian side," he said.Moscow last week summoned Armenia's ambassador to complain
about the "unfriendly steps" the country was taking.Russia's Foreign Ministry said Yerevan's envoy was given a "tough talk" but insisted
that the countries "remain allies.""It sounded more like a threat to Yerevan than a description of reality," said Gela Vasadze, an
independent political analyst."In fact, Russian-Armenian relations have reached a strategic impasse," he told AFP.'Weakened Russia'In
Yerevan, residents expressed frustration over Russia's lack of military and political support as tensions with Azerbaijan flared
again.Mariam Anahamyan, 27, told AFP that Armenia had made a mistake by "pinning its hopes on the Russians.""So now let's try with the
The consequences may be bad but not trying would be even worse," she said.For Arthur Khachaduryan, a 51-year-old security guard, "Russia
failed to keep its commitments during the war and has even made our situation worse."He was referring to a brief but bloody conflict in 2020
for control over Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist region in Azerbaijan.Russia brokered a ceasefire and deployed some 2,000 peacekeepers to the
Lachin corridor, which connects Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.But Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said Moscow was either
"unable or unwilling" to control the passage.His government has accused Azerbaijan of closing the road and blockading the mountainous
region, spurring a humanitarian crisis in Armenian-populated towns.Pashinyan also recently claimed that Armenia's security reliance on
Russia was a "strategic mistake."Bogged down in its invasion and isolated from much of the international community, "weakened Russia is
rapidly losing influence in its Soviet-era backyard," said independent analyst Arkady Dubnov."Armenians are frustrated with Russia, which
failed to help them during the Karabakh war and its aftermath," he said, adding that Moscow "also seems to be lacking a clear plan, strategy
in the Caucasus."'New allies'Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center 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, which built a strong military and secured backing from Turkey, sought revenge against its neighbor by launching a new major
Nagorno-Karabakh remains volatile and Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of moving troops near the region over the past week, raising the
specter of a fresh large-scale conflict.The EU and United States have taken a leading role in mediating peace talks but have so far failed
Turkey pursue their objectives," analyst Dubnov said."In this situation, Armenia is trying to forge strong new alliances."
