The future of the diplomatic and military ties between Armenia and Russia is being debated again alongside questions about the status of the Russian base in Gyumri and Yerevan’s turn toward Europe. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview published over the weekend that relations between the two countries would change regardless of which person or political force was in power.
Door remains open on Gyumri base
Last week, Pashinyan said they would not oppose the possible closure of the Russian military base in Gyumri, a city near the Turkish border. The facility was said to house approximately 3,000 Russian troops.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to order the base closed “even tomorrow” if Armenia decided that it did not want a Russian military presence in the country. A 2010 agreement extends Russia’s right to operate the base in Gyumri until 2044.
Relations change after Karabakh
Tensions between Russia and Armenia rose after Azerbaijan reestablished control over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Armenia accused Russia and the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the region of failing to deter Azerbaijan’s military operation.
Pashinyan said relations could not be managed in the same way during conflict and in peacetime. Saying that the change was not tied to any particular person or political force, Pashinyan stated that Russia-Armenia relations would not continue in their previous form.
Yerevan’s turn toward Europe
In 2024, Armenia suspended its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and took steps toward the possibility of joining the European Union.
The Kremlin increased economic pressure this year by imposing import bans on Armenian goods and other restrictions. In June, Putin warned against Yerevan’s rapprochement with Brussels and compared the process with Ukraine’s initial attempts to integrate with Europe.
