DISINFO: Armenia and "the West" signed a de facto military pact
SUMMARY
In Brussels, Nikol Pashinyan met with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, during which the parties, according to some reports, signed a cooperation agreement, and a de facto military pact. The latter envisages providing Yerevan with expert support for the development of a new military doctrine, assistance for significant development of military and defence capabilities, financial resources for the purchase of Western military technologies and reducing dependence on the Russian military-industrial complex, and regular joint exercises to ensure interoperability.
RESPONSE
This claim is part of a disinformation campaign directed against the trilateral meeting in Brussels between the EU, the US, and Armenia on April 5, 2024, attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU High Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell, Secretary of State of the US, Antony Blinken, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. Read here and here.
Pro-Kremlin outlets promote the idea that Armenia is exclusively within Russia's zone of geopolitical dominance, and Russia pressures Yerevan with claims that the West is trying to drive a wedge between Armenia and Russia.
Officials from the US, EU, and Armenia have stated that the meeting has a strictly bilateral focus, and is about the country’s economic resilience and any allegations about the so-called military pact are baseless, and fictitious.
Pro-Kremlin outlets refer to the information published earlier in Azerbaijan. Some media in Azerbaijan have circulated photos of what is claimed to be a document allegedly discussed during the US-EU-Armenia trilateral meeting in Brussels. They claim the document reflected the provision of extensive military support to Armenia.
"The document published by the Azerbaijani media has nothing to do with reality," Spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security policy Peter Stano said. Responding to the rumours about Armenia's withdrawal from the integration structures with Russia, whether it is “homework” for Yerevan, Stano noted that Armenia's “homework” is the continuation of reforms. "If you are developing closer ties with the EU, that doesn't mean you have to cut ties with any other partner. Whether you want to have Russian soldiers, the Russian Federal Security Service, or any other Russian law enforcement agency on your land is your sovereign decision. We are not saying that if you want to get more from us, you should get rid of the Russians. The EU does not work like that,” the EU spokesperson said.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry stated, that the document published in Azerbaijani media about the Brussels meeting is fake. Washington called the document “pure disinformation.” “Security issues were not on the agenda. The Brussels meeting with the EU and Armenia focused solely on Armenia’s economic resilience as it works to diversify its trade partnerships and address humanitarian needs, and support for Armenia’s ongoing reforms, including in areas such as democracy and rule of law.”
See other similar cases, targeting the trilateral meeting: The West is trying to destabilise the South Caucasus out of envy and endless malice; the Armenia-US-EU meeting is an attempt by the West to drag the South Caucasus into a geopolitical confrontation; The West is pushing Yerevan along the Ukrainian path; Armenia-US-EU trilateral meeting is directed against Iran; The West wants Armenia to lose its sovereignty; Armenia is being turned into a tool for implementing dangerous Western plans.