Ethnic Armenian fighters in the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to lay down their arms after Azerbaijan launched a brief but bloody military offensive on Tuesday, handing a boost to Azerbaijan as it seeks to bring the enclave under its control.
The arrival of US soldiers for a peacekeeper training exercise in Armenia has rankled the Russian government, which has for decades acted as the sole security guarantor for the former Soviet republic. The 10-day “Eagle Partner” exercise, which began Monday, involves 85 US and 175 Armenian soldiers and aims to prepare the Armenians to take part in international peacekeeping missions.
Armenia feels abandoned by the Kremlin and is trying to find new partners to help ensure its security. But its dependence on the Kremlin is deep – and archrival Azerbaijan is already mulling its next attack.
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