Armenia certainly does not have the ambition to accelerate a process of Russian-American normalization promised by D. Trump but is slow to take shape, but the participation of a battalion of The army of the Republic of Armenia, a strategic ally of Russia, to military maneuvers under American command, moreover on the territory of Georgia, which has maintained relations at least tense with Russia since this one De facto annexed the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after a flash war in August 2008, blows a relaxing wind on relations between Moscow and Washington.

The military exercises that began on July 30 that the Georgian base Vaziani near Tbilisi, should involve, for two weeks, some 2,800 soldiers from the United States, Georgia, Great Britain, Germany, Turkey, Ukraine, Slovenia and Armenia, the latter country having a special status because of its privileged military and political ties with Russia, although it is also participating in various peace programs within the framework of the Nato.

The US contingent includes several Abrams M1A2 tanks and Bradley armored vehicles as part of a mechanized infantry company. “These exercises give the participating nations the opportunity to train in a multinational framework while strengthening co-operation and co-ordinated operations,” the US Army Europe Command said in a statement on the maneuvers baptized “Noble Partner”. “These exercises will help Georgia to move closer to NATO standards and help to strengthen stability throughout the region,” said Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili during the inaugural ceremony of the exercises. A few days after NATO’s major maneuvers in the Baltic countries and Poland, to the great displeasure of Russia, which will respond with maneuvers of a similar scale on the Russian and Belarusian sides, announced for September.

The exercises began on the eve of the official visit to Georgia of US Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to attend and speak to participants on Tuesday, August 1. The Russian government preferred not to comment; He had already criticized similar exercises organized in the past by the US military in the territory of Georgia. The participation of some 30 Armenian soldiers in these exercises illustrates Yerevan’s desire to counterbalance its military alliance with Russia by strengthening its military ties with the West.

Armenia has developed its defense cooperation with the United States and other NATO countries since the early 2000s. More than 100 Armenian soldiers currently participating in NATO missions, NATO in Kosovo and Afghanistan, and the Armenian Army regularly participates in US-led multinational military exercises. But this participation seems anecdotal in view of the close ties between Armenia and Russia, which remains the pivot of the Armenian strategic doctrine and the national security of the country. Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian recalled him on 29 July as he took part in the opening ceremony near Moscow of the 2017 International Military Games, organized in part by Russia.