Putin ally ditches Russia despite warnings and turns to US

 When that partner holds all the cards and controls the neighborhood economy, walking away takes serious courage.

One small country is finally making that difficult leap to find new friends.

Seeking new friends

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently flew into Yerevan to seal a massive strategic deal with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. The historic agreement marks a major shift according to United24media.

Armenia is pushing hard to build Western ties just weeks before a critical parliamentary election on June 7. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wants to pull his country out of Moscow’s massive shadow.

He desperately needs international support. Reuters reported that this new partnership aims to protect the small nation from foreign bullying.

The cost of leaving

Taking a stand naturally triggered immediate revenge from the Kremlin. Moscow absolutely hates losing control.

Russian authorities quickly banned imports of Armenian brandy, mineral water, and flowers. And they threatened to hike natural gas prices, which could devastate local families.

Tensions reached a boiling point after Pashinyan skipped a recent Moscow-led trade summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked the situation entirely. He called it a potential “mutually beneficial divorce”, according to Reuters.

Pashinyan rejected that dramatic framing. He insists his government is simply following standard international rules as it moves closer to the European Union.

Digging for minerals

The fresh American partnership goes far beyond simple political support. Washington clearly wants access to the country’s rich supply of iron, zinc, and copper.