Armenia feels betrayed by Russia and finds new partners in the face of the EU and the USA. The country wants to emancipate itself from Russia, even if this process is difficult and long, writes ARD.
At the beginning of August, the 32-year presence of Russian border guards at the only international airport in Armenia was ceremonially ended. Along with 4,500 border guards, Russia had provided approximately the same number of soldiers for the defense of the country.
In the send-off ceremony, the Armenian government sees the first step in freeing itself from the presence of the Russian military. It was agreed at a meeting in May between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Putin, ARD recalls. Russia also adheres to the second promise - to withdraw its people from the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
At the whim of fate
In the meantime, the helipad that served Russia to support its “peaceful units" has also been removed in this border region. Their task was to protect more than 100,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, who fled there in September 2023 after Azerbaijan accepted the so-called “Anti-terror law", which led to the capture of the district.
From the reports of the escapees it is clear that the Russian soldiers supported the disarmament and evacuation of the Armenians, i.e. they were far from fulfilling their task of protecting them. Therefore, for many Armenians, the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh is not only due to the incompetence of the Armenian military units - they feel betrayed by Russia, for which Azerbaijan is an important economic and strategic partner, ARD points out.
European observers and exercises with American participation
This is not only about Nagorno-Karabakh, but about the whole of Armenia, whose territory Azerbaijani units entered repeatedly in 2021 and 2022. To this day, important heights on the Armenian side of the common border are occupied by Azerbaijan. This violation of Armenia's territorial integrity obliges Russia, as its protector, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), led by it, to step up on Armenia's side. But nothing like that happened, writes ARD.
Armenia complained that the CSTO had not even adopted a resolution against Azerbaijan. The organization proposed a fact-finding mission only when the Armenian government made a similar request to the EU in the fall of 2022. And in the end it was decided to invite observers from the Community. Since they have been patrolling (unarmed) along the border with Azerbaijan, there have been no military clashes similar to those of 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, Armenia has frozen its membership in the CSTO - it is looking for new partners. The country buys military equipment from France, India and the Czech Republic, and for the second time it held exercises with the participation of the American military.
Armenia receives €10m for its armed forces from the EU in addition to a €270m total sustainability and growth package. Visa liberalization for the Schengen area and other convergence steps are currently under discussion. The government in Yerevan is also considering holding a referendum on joining the EU, informs ARD.
Economic commitments
Russia, which is engaged politically and militarily with Ukraine, has reacted to all this with regrets, warnings and threats. But so far it has not used any of the tools feared in Armenia - such as the price it charges for gas supplies. In addition, Russia is the most important market for Armenian products and remains an important labor market for Armenians. Many Armenian families are still dependent on the money that their relatives send them from Russia.
The close economic ties are also along the lines of the Eurasian Economic Union - which, in addition to Russia and Armenia, includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Armenia's separation from the organization would be long-term and accompanied by economic problems, but it is not being discussed anyway. However, Prime Minister Pashinyan stated that Armenia intends to leave the CSTO, but without naming a date.
ARD emphasizes that Armenia will be able to free itself from Russia only in the long term, taking advantage in one way or another of Russia's weaknesses, such as by conducting exercises with the American military. In this way, Armenia can earn more respect from Russia - says security expert Richard Giragosyan, quoted by ARD.