ArmInfo.The Wall Street Journal suggests that US President Donald Trump should conduct a policy alternative to NATO expansion.
The WSJ analysts recommend the Western countries to agree on a new architecture of security for Eastern Europe countries. It is noteworthy that the new concept implies permanent neutrality for the countries, which are no members of NATO. The matter concerns post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, as well as Balkan countries, Finland, Cyprus and Serbia. The analysts think that such an alternative to NATO expansion will not antagonize Russia.
In exchange, Moscow will have to assume some obligations to maintain security. The West expects Moscow to withdraw all Russian troops from the territories of the future neutral counties and to give guarantees of further non-intervention. Afterwards, the US will lift the sanctions and the Crimea problem will be shelved until better days.
To note, the Russian 102nd military base has been deployed in Armenia since 1995 under the Armenian- Russian interstate agreement. Since 2001 the Russian base and the Armenian air defense system have been carrying out joint combat duty within the Joint Air Defense System of the CIS.