YEREVAN: Russia has been struggling to supply its traditional ally Armenia with weapons due to the ongoing strain of the Ukraine war, Moscow’s foreign minister said Wednesday.
Armenia, a landlocked ex-Soviet country in the Caucasus, has long relied on Moscow to provide weapons and security in its standoff with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
But Yerevan has in recent years turned to France and India for arms purchases, as Moscow fails to deliver weapons the country has already paid for.
Russia has thrown huge budgetary and military resources at its three-year invasion of Ukraine, often at the expense of other foreign policy commitments, analysts say.
At a press conference in Yerevan alongside Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan, Lavrov acknowledged some weapons contracts had been delayed or reassigned, citing what he described as an existential confrontation with the West.
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“We are currently in a situation where, as has happened throughout history, we are forced to fight all of Europe,” Lavrov said, accusing European nations of backing Ukraine “under Nazi slogans”.
“Our Armenian friends understand that in such conditions we cannot fulfil all our obligations on time,” he said.
Commenting on Armenia’s growing military ties with other suppliers, including France, Lavrov said Russia would not oppose Yerevan procuring arms from third countries but said the move raised concerns about Armenia’s strategic direction.
“When an ally turns to a country like France, which leads the hostile camp and whose president and ministers speak openly with hatred toward Russia, it does raise questions,” he said.
His comments come amid growing strains between Moscow and Yerevan, as Armenia deepens its ties with the West while remaining formally allied with Russia.
Armenia has effectively frozen its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russian-led security umbrella of ex-Soviet countries.
Armenia also accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to protect over 100,000 ethnic Armenians who fled Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s lightning military operation and takeover of the region in 2023.
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