U.S, National Security Advisor John Bolton during his meeting with Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on Oct. 25, 2018
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
Not since the failed and dangerous Turkey-Armenia Protocols has the United States been so keen on pressuring Armenia to adapt to American priorities in the region.
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton’s trip last week to Armenia, where he offered to sell arms and urged the government to take “decisive” steps regarding Karabakh, signals yet another attempt by Washington to coerce—or threaten—Yerevan to alter its priorities in favor of advancing U.S. interests in the region.
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills set the groundwork in his farewell interview with EVN Report, where he said that territorial concessions by Armenia are an inevitable part of the peace process and while Armenia was free to pursue its own independent foreign policy, it would behoove Yerevan to toe Washington’s line when it came to regional issues.
Bolton’s bold offer to sell arms to Armenia not only would tip the balance of parity in the region, it would also pit Armenia directly against Russia, which has been Armenia’s main arms supplier. Hence, it is ironic that Bolton would call Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan and Armenia disruptive and unproductive for the Karabakh peace process and yet offer both countries to buy arms from the United States without presenting guarantees that such a transaction, which until now has not been on the table, would not create an imbalance in the region.
Given the size of Azerbaijan’s military budget, such a proposal would be dangerous and would bolster Azerbaijan’s political sway with the Trump administration.
Read more: http://asbarez.com/1...and-on-armenia/