Putin agrees to partial troop withdrawal from Armenia amid tensions

Vladimir Putin agreed to withdraw part of the Russian forces from Armenia. At the request of Yerevan, Russian officers will continue to be stationed at the borders with Turkey and Iran. The decision was made during a meeting of the Russian dictator with the Prime Minister of Armenia.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to withdraw Russian soldiers and border guard officers from various regions of Armenia, as reported on Thursday by the Reuters agency, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

The decision was taken during a meeting between Putin and Armenia's Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan. During the discussions, an agreement was reached on this matter. At Yerevan's request, Russian border guard officers will still be stationed on the Armenian border with Turkey and Iran.

Armenia seeks closer relations with the West

Armenia has been attempting to forge closer relations with the West for some time due to the growing tension between it and its former ally, Russia.

Yerevan accuses Moscow of a lack of support in the conflict with Azerbaijan, particularly during the offensive carried out by Baku in Nagorno-Karabakh in the fall of 2023. Russian peacekeeping forces remained passive, resulting in the conflict ending in Baku’s triumph, the loss of independence by Nagorno-Karabakh, and the flight of the Armenian population.

One proof of the deterioration of relations between the countries was Armenia's suspension of participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which Russia controls. This decision was made in February of this year.

In March, Armenia's Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, announced that the country's authorities "are considering" the possibility of applying for membership in the European Union. Additionally, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently visited Armenia for the first time since the beginning of his term.

Source: PAP