Armenia's Turn to the West

https://www.euractiv.com/news/armenia-to-start-eu-bid-in-near-future/    

The struggle over Armenia and the Caucasus continues. The region has been caught in geopolitical wranglings since the fall of the Soviet Union thirty-five years ago.

Von der Leyen in the South Caucasus

https://www.euronews.com/2026/07/02/von-der-leyen-unveils-major-eu-support-initiatives-in-strategic-trip-to-armenia

Given Armenia's recent tilt away from Russia, and Azerbaijan's mostly pro-US stance, the moment seems ripe for the EU to sweep into the South Caucasus and do some bridge building. As I have long suggested, the EU offers a Western and yet non-American alternative, and one more attractive given the geographic proximity to the region.

More Signals from Armenia

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-sending-signals-that-it-wants-to-back-out-of-a-nuclear-energy-deal-with-russia

https://theworld.org/stories/2024/09/06/the-rise-of-an-armenian-church-opposition-leader

Yerevan continues to signal its shift to the West. There's little doubt that Moscow is alarmed as now Armenia seeks to re-orient its nuclear energy programme to the West and to cut out the Russians.

Armenia's Shift to the West

https://eurasianet.org/russia-rages-over-us-military-exercise-in-armenia

These military exercises signal Yerevan's shift to the West and yet another Western incursion on the borders of Russia, another invasion into its historical sphere.

Israel, Iran, and the Turks

https://eurasianet.org/israel-emerging-as-source-of-tension-in-azerbaijans-special-relationship-with-turkey

This was inevitable and I was pleased to note that others are noticing it as well. Baku has been effectively wed to Ankara since the break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990's. Their cultural ties are pervasive and there are significant numbers of Azeris in Türkiye proper, and they also share a common enemy in the Armenians.

Politics and Persecution in Armenia

https://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/25560/armenian-court-rejects-baptist-conscientious-objector-appeal-against-jail-sentence

I have mentioned this in previous articles but there's been a shift in how the American Right deals with the Armenian question. For many years the US stuck close to its NATO ally in Ankara and the Turkish refusal to acknowledge the genocide. Türkiye has long been linked with Azerbaijan, especially in the post-Cold War setting. This opened door for Washington and gave the United States access to oil and both America and Israel found an ally (for its own reasons) antagonistic to Tehran and right on its border. For the US, the geopolitical placement of Azerbaijan vis-à-vis Russia was also an important consideration.