The Eagle Partner 2026 military exercises have begun in Armenia, involving personnel from the United States, France and Greece. The drills will continue until June 25.
The exercise is relatively limited in scale. According to the Armenian Ministry of Defence, it involves 250 peacekeepers from the Armed Forces of Armenia, alongside 58 US troops from US Army Europe and Africa and the Kansas National Guard. A further 24 French and 11 Greek personnel are participating.
Unlike many military exercises held near Russia’s western borders, the Eagle Partner drills are not officially presented as anti-Russian. Their stated purpose is to improve interoperability between peacekeeping units and facilitate an exchange of experience in command procedures and tactical communications.
The format is not new. The Eagle Partner drills were developed by the United States specifically for Armenia and have been held annually since 2023. A notable feature of this year’s exercise is the participation of troops from France and Greece, both members of the European Union, alongside the American contingent.
Since 2023, Pashinyan’s government has consistently declined to participate in events organised by the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Against that background, it is becoming increasingly difficult to describe Armenia’s security policy as balanced between Russia and the West. The country appears to be moving steadily away from the CSTO and towards closer cooperation with NATO members. Despite their modest scale, the Eagle Partner drills therefore underline a broader geopolitical shift in Armenia’s foreign and defence policy.
