Armenia would not oppose Russian base pullout, PM says

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Thursday that Yerevan would not object if Russia closed its military base in Armenia, saying the base was no longer vital to national security.

Pashinyan said Armenia had not put the future of Russia’s 102nd military base on the agenda. But if Moscow wanted to close the base in the northwestern city of Gyumri, Armenia “will not object”, he said.

“The 102nd military base adds nothing to Armenia’s security,” Pashinyan told a news conference.

The base, near Armenia’s border with Turkey, hosts around 3,000 Russian troops. A 2010 agreement extended Russia’s right to operate it until 2044.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Moscow was ready to withdraw the base “even tomorrow” if Armenia decided it no longer needed a Russian military presence.

On Thursday, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu accused Yerevan of seeking to “sever ties” with Moscow and expand cooperation with NATO.

Relations between Armenia and Russia have deteriorated as Yerevan has deepened ties with the European Union and the United States. Armenia froze its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation in 2024 and has taken steps toward possible EU membership.

Russia remains a major trading partner for Armenia, and Armenia is heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies.