Russia’s criticism of the Eagle Partner international military exercises held in Armenia has no military justification, according to military and political affairs expert Leonid Nersisyan.
The Criticism Has No Military Basis
Nersisyan argues that claims portraying the exercises as a hostile move against Russia do not withstand serious analysis.
“Anyone can simply look at a map to understand how unrealistic such accusations are. Armenia and Russia do not even share a common border, making any discussion of Armenian military action against Russia absurd from both geographical and military perspectives,” he said.
According to the expert, Moscow’s reaction is driven primarily by political messaging rather than genuine security concerns.
The Exercises Are Not New
Nersisyan recalls that Eagle Partner is not a new initiative.
The peacekeeping-oriented exercise has now been held for the third time.
“The only notable difference this year is the participation of representatives from Greece and France, meaning the format has expanded somewhat,” he explained.
He considers the involvement of Armenia’s closest Western partners in such exercises a positive development.
Suspension of Voting Rights in the CSTO Would Change Little
The expert also commented on Russia’s statement that Armenia could lose its voting rights within the Collective Security Treaty Organization because of unpaid membership contributions.
In his view, such a measure would have virtually no practical consequences because Armenia has already frozen its participation in the organization’s activities.
“If Armenia does not attend meetings or participate in voting, restricting its voting rights within CSTO bodies would have no real impact,” he noted.
Removing Armenia from the CSTO Would Be Legally Difficult
Nersisyan stresses that expelling Armenia from the organization would be legally complicated under the CSTO’s current rules.
He argues that carrying out such procedures without Armenia’s participation would be practically impossible.
Even if mechanisms were found, he believes Armenia’s position would not fundamentally change, as the country’s leadership has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of resuming active participation in the organization.
According to him, such a decision would damage the credibility of the CSTO itself.
Economic Pressure Is Already Visible
The expert expresses greater concern about the growing portrayal of Armenia as a hostile country within Russia’s political and media discourse.
He believes economic pressure has already become evident.
“We are witnessing restrictions that have effectively taken on the character of economic sanctions. These measures affect not only Armenian exports to Russia but also transit through Russian territory to other Eurasian Economic Union member states. This is already an instrument of economic pressure,” Nersisyan said.
Relations Continue to Deteriorate
At the same time, he believes it is too early to speak about a complete breakdown in bilateral relations.
Armenia remains a member of both the Eurasian Economic Union and the CSTO, numerous bilateral agreements remain in force, and Russia continues to maintain its military base in Armenia.
Nevertheless, Nersisyan argues that bilateral relations are clearly moving in a negative direction.
“If this trend continues, various mechanisms and formats of cooperation between the two countries may gradually lose their significance,” he said.
Pressure Often Produces the Opposite Effect
The expert does not rule out that Moscow is attempting to influence Armenia’s political choices through pressure.
However, he believes such methods rarely achieve their intended objectives.
According to Nersisyan, Russia has previously used similar tactics toward other countries, but experience shows that pressure frequently strengthens disagreements instead of resolving them.