Yerevan /Mediamax/. Former deputy spokesman of the U.S. State Department Adam Ereli believes that "Putin is creating a new satellite state on NATO’s border and threatening an indispensable U.S. ally”.

The retired U.S. diplomat writes this in his article for Forbes website.

“Two days before Christmas, as American policymakers were settling into the holidays, Russia quietly signed a sweeping air defense agreement with Armenia, accelerating a growing Russian military buildup that has unfolded largely under the radar,” writes the author.

“A similar Russian deployment on the borders of any other NATO member state would produce an outcry of outrage. Why are we staying silent in the face of this thinly veiled aggression against Turkey? And why are we not speaking up against Armenia for rolling out the red carpet for Putin’s shock troops? Turkey, after all, is a critical ally in the global fight against ISIS and is among the only members of the U.S.-led coalition with bases near strategic ISIS strongholds,” observes Adam Ereli.

“Make no mistake: The Russian military presence in Armenia represents a dagger pointed at the heart of NATO as the Armenia-Russian alliance strengthens. But while Moscow is rattling its sabers, Washington remains silent,” writes the retired diplomat, who was U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain from 2007-2011.