Russia blasts U.S.-Armenia military exercise
The US-Armenian Exercise Eagle Partner, which is scheduled for July 15 to 24, undermines Armenia's security cooperation with Moscow, TASS quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying on Friday.
According to the diplomat, the West, "uses the involvement in the maneuvers and training programs under its auspices to impose NATO armed forces standards on the republic." That gives the Western additional leverage over Armenia's domestic and foreign policy, she said.
"Such steps by Yerevan, which are becoming systemic, undermine the prospects for the functioning of proven mechanisms of interaction in this area," the diplomat said.
These US-Armenia exercises will take place for the second time, according to the spokeswoman.
"They cause nothing but regret, especially as Yerevan essentially froze its activities in the CSTO and publicly attacks the organization," Zakharova said. "Whatever peaceful peacekeeping goals the Westerners declare, their main task is obviously to create a springboard for the realization of their own geopolitical projects."
Exercise Eagle Partner first took part in Armenia in 2023 and involved 85 American and 175 Armenian servicemen.