Armenia and U.S. Begin Joint Peacekeeping Drills “Eagle Partner-2025”

On Tuesday, August 12, Armenia and the United States started a joint peacekeeping exercise in Yerevan as part of ongoing training for international missions. The drills, named Eagle Partner-2025, will run from today until August 20 and are taking place for the third year in a row.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, the exercise includes troops from the Armenian Armed Forces Peacekeeping Brigade, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa, and the Kansas National Guard. The training will focus on preparing and carrying out peacekeeping missions, with special attention to medical evacuation procedures.

Officials said the exercise will help the units work better together, improve their command and communication skills, and boost the readiness of Armenia’s peacekeeping forces. Armenian troops also take part in similar training abroad to prepare for their missions.

The opening ceremony took place at Yerevan’s Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy and attended by senior officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien. 

This year’s exercise happens as the region’s politics are changing. Armenia has mostly stepped back from the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, showing a change in its security approach. While Russia has criticized the Eagle Partner drills before, it still sees Armenia as a military ally.

The exercise began shortly after Armenia agreed to a so-called ‘peace’ deal with Azerbaijan on August 8 in Washington. This deal requires Armenia to give the United States exclusive control over a transit route through Armenian territory. Many remain skeptical of the agreement due to Azerbaijan’s crimes against Armenians, including ethnic cleansing, holding prisoners of war in Baku, and the destruction of Armenian cultural sites.

The planned route, called the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), has concerned Russia and Iran because of the United States’ growing role in the region.

Eagle Partner-2025 will continue through next week, with both countries’ forces conducting joint drills in command coordination, tactical operations, and peacekeeping procedures.

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