Euro-spies in Armenia trade binoculars for arms and camouflage Caliber.Az exclusive

On January 10, 2025, the office of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, announced Brussels’ intention to extend the mandate of the EU mission in Armenia. “Member States have welcomed the proposal and, in line with common practice, are currently discussing the necessary legal acts in the competent Council preparatory bodies. The formal [EU] Council decision on the extension is expected in the coming weeks," the press service of the EU High Representative stated.

On Janury 22, Caliber.Az received information from reliable sources indicating that the mandate of the EU's  spy mission is expected to be extended for another two years on January 27. A principal decision has already been made.

But that’s not all. It appears that Brussels has decided that the mission’s intelligence-gathering role is no longer sufficient, and therefore, it needs to be granted military capabilities. Information at our disposal unambiguously points to an expansion of the mission's mandate to include new elements, transforming it from a purely reconnaissance operation into a fully-fledged military presence.

Notably, these military units are planned to be stationed not only along the Armenian borders with Azerbaijan but also on the Armenian-Turkish and Armenian-Iranian border sections.

At this point, readers might ask: "Wait a minute! How is that possible? Isn’t Armenia’s border with Türkiye guarded by Russian border guards?" And they’d be correct—Russian border guards are indeed stationed there. This contrasts with the Armenian-Iranian border segment, where only Armenian border guards have been deployed since the beginning of this year.

But that’s precisely the point. One of the objectives of adding a military component to the EU’s spy mission appears to be the gradual displacement of Russian border guards from the Armenian-Turkish border and placing both these strategic directions under EU control.

This aligns with recent actions taken by the Armenian authorities. However, the ultimate goal of this mission's transformation seems to be the removal of Russia’s 102nd military base. Evidently, decision-makers in the high corridors of Brussels and Yerevan have concluded that Armenia must be completely freed from Russian military presence.

What will the military components of the EU mission include? We have an answer to this as well. In addition to maintaining its reconnaissance infrastructure—which already involves more than just binoculars trained on Azerbaijan—the mission is expected to utilize specialized equipment and military vehicles. Moreover, EU personnel will now be allowed to carry weapons.

This marks a significant shift from the explanation provided by the head of the EU mission, Markus Ritter, to Deutsche Welle in March 2023, when he stated, “We only have binoculars and cameras at our disposal.” Now, however, the process of equipping Armenia through the European Peace Facility will go hand in hand with the militarization of the EU's presence in the country.

Few would doubt today that this mission is a projection of "Europe’s power abroad," rooted in French Napoleonic ambitions. Macron's France, humiliated in Africa—where it is being driven out—and struggling with its so-called "overseas territories" demanding sovereignty, seeks to assert itself at least in the South Caucasus.

Yet, Armenia’s fate is of little interest to Paris; for France, Armenia is merely a tool, one it wouldn’t hesitate to discard when convenient. This reveals the essence of modern France: clumsily hiding behind the EU’s umbrella as a collective façade to mask its own unilateral ambitions.

At the highest level, Baku advised the EU to avoid following France’s lead and falling under its influence in order to preserve its partnership with Azerbaijan. These warnings went unheeded. Ultimately, this trajectory works against the EU’s own interests, as it transforms from an economic and political partner into an intrusive military force in the South Caucasus. Naturally, this shift is bound to provoke strong resistance from all regional powers—except Armenia.

It is also important to note that Azerbaijan has long discerned the destructive plans of Brussels and Yerevan. The expansion of the mission to include military elements only heightens tensions in the region, which will undoubtedly undermine stability in the South Caucasus rather than foster it.