Kathrine Frich
The bad blood traces back to September 2022.
When trouble arrives, you expect your oldest allies to answer the call.
Sometimes the promised backup never shows up. After learning that bitter lesson, one nation is walking away from a broken pledge.
A useless alliance
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made his stance very clear. He recently announced that he will not stop Russia if it chooses to pack up and close its military base in his country.
The 102nd Military Base has been a fixture in Armenia for decades. Yet the prime minister sees no value in those troops. He believes they do not protect national borders.
According to the Armenian news outlet NEWS.am cited by United24Meida, Pashinyan noted that Moscow actually brought up the topic first.
“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.
Left in the dark
The bad blood traces back to a major crisis. In September 2022, Azerbaijani forces pushed into sovereign Armenian territory. Desperate for backup, the government quickly asked Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization for military help.
That Moscow led military bloc completely ignored the plea. This rejection cemented the view that Russian promises are worthless, according to EVN Report.
“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,” Pashinyan added, as reported by NEWS.am.
Since that failure, Armenia has frozen its membership in the Russian alliance. Leaders in Yerevan are slowly pivoting away from the Kremlin.
Finding new friends
Some local politicians still worry about angering Russia. Pashinyan dismissed those fears as irrational panic, according to United24 Media.
“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.
Meanwhile, Yerevan is already looking West. American, French, and Greek troops recently arrived in the country for a historic round of joint training exercises.
Sources: United24 Media, NEWS.am, EVN Repor
