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“We Don’t Need the Military Base”: Pashinyan Opens Door for Russian Military Withdrawal From Armenia
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia will not object if Russia decides to withdraw its 102nd Military Base from the country, Armenian outlet NEWS.am reported on September 17.
He emphasized that the Russian military presence provides no actual protection for Armenia’s national security.
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Speaking during a press briefing following a cabinet meeting, Pashinyan clarified that discussions regarding the military base’s future were initiated by Moscow rather than Yerevan.
Pashinyan’s indifference toward the Russian military presence reflects a wider geopolitical realignment as Moscow steadily loses its historic grip on the South Caucasus. Following Russia’s inaction during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts and its ongoing preoccupation with the war in Ukraine, Armenia has actively distanced itself from the Kremlin to pursue Western partnerships, United24 Media reporter Jess Daly previously wrote.
“We have never put the issue of the Russian military base operating in Armenia up for discussion. Now Russia has put it up for discussion, and we are positioning ourselves around that discussion,” Pashinyan said.
“If they decide to withdraw it, we will not object. I am saying directly: the presence of the 102nd military base adds nothing to Armenia’s security. We saw this during the events of September 2022,” he continued, NEWS.am wrote.
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The “events of September 2022” most likely refer to a major Azerbaijani offensive into sovereign Armenian territory. During the attack, Armenia formally requested military intervention from Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), according to EVN Report.
The Moscow-led bloc ignored the appeal and refused to send troops, cementing Pashinyan’s view that Russian security guarantees are useless. Since then, Armenia has suspended its CSTO membership and steadily pivoted away from Russian influence.
Dismissing political narratives and public anxieties about Armenia being left abandoned or defenseless, Pashinyan repeatedly referenced the classic Armenian folktale The Death of Kikos—a story illustrating irrational panic over hypothetical disasters.
According to NEWS.am, he rejected claims that Armenia should plead with Moscow or the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to remain.
“There is no need to threaten us with expulsion from the CSTO; if they want to expel us, let them expel us,” Pashinyan stated.
“We don’t need the military base. Russia is our friendly country; if they want to withdraw it, let them withdraw it—even tomorrow. If they want to stay, we are ready to discuss the conditions for an unnecessary base to remain in the Republic of Armenia,” he concluded.
Pashinyan’s willingness to part with the Russian military presence coincides with Yerevan’s accelerating defense cooperation with the West. In a historic first, Armenia had recently hosted the multinational “Eagle Partner 2026” military exercises, bringing together troops from the United States, France, and Greece to train directly alongside the Armenian peacekeeping brigade on Armenian soil.
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