A host of European Union (EU) leaders were in Armenia on Monday and Tuesday for two summits as the Caucasian country, long considered to be aligned with Russia, stepped up its outreach towards the West. Armenia appears to be rethinking its security architecture, especially after the 2023 Azerbaijani takeover of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers. But these summits also come at a time when the European grouping faces questions over its own security mechanisms amid tensions with the US over the Iran war and tariffs. For decades, Europe has depended heavily on American military protection. As the US signals a reduction in troops, the EU faces a difficult question: can it defend itself effectively as a block? Active US troops deployed abroad- Top 12 nations (Source: US defence Manpower Data centre. Data captured as of 2025 end) The difficulty lies in its very structure, designed to suppress centralised power — especially military power.…