Armenia flounders as allies turn away

Refugees in the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, after fleeing the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. While Armenia, a Caucasus nation, might want to reduce its reliance on an untrustworthy Russian ally, preoccupied by the war in Ukraine, the West offers no plausible alternative, analysts say. — ©2023 The New York Times Company

ON the day Azerbaijan’s military sliced through the defences of an ethnic Armenian redoubt on Sept 19, American soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division had just finished a training mission in nearby Armenia, a long-time ally of Russia that has been trying to reduce its nearly total dependence on Moscow for its security.

The Americans unfurled a banner made up of the flags of the United States and Armenia, posed for photographs – and then left the country.