Putin Says Russia Could Leave Gyumri Base ‘As Soon as Tomorrow’ if Armenia Wants It Gone

“If Armenia does not need the Russian base in Gyumri, we will leave as soon as tomorrow,” Vladimir Putin told journalists in Bishkek after a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Putin’s comment came as Moscow and Yerevan discussed Armenia’s interest in joining the European Union and the possible consequences for its relationship with Russia. He said the regional dispute over Karabakh had changed after Yerevan recognized the territory as part of Azerbaijan, and argued that membership in the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union could not coexist.

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If Armenia does not need the Russian base in Gyumri, we will leave as soon as tomorrow.

Russia’s 102nd military base has operated in Gyumri since 1995. The original agreement lasted 25 years, but the two sides extended it in 2010 until 2044. The base forms part of the Commonwealth of Independent States’ joint air-defense system.

Putin said Moscow remained ready to cooperate if the Armenian people wanted Russian military equipment in the country. Pashinyan, meanwhile, said Armenia had no plans to remove the base, although he noted that Russia’s military presence had declined in recent years. He also said Armenia’s European ambitions did not violate its agreements with Russia or the Eurasian Economic Union, and that relations should reflect the region’s changed realities after peace was established.

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Russia is ready to continue cooperation if the Armenian people want Russian military weapons there.