Russian Security Council: If Yerevan opts for US security guarantees, it definitely risks facing potential disappointment
Russia harbours no illusions regarding the current course of the Armenian authorities, Army General Oleg Salyukov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, told reporters.
“We harbour no illusions regarding the current course of the Armenian authorities and base our position on an analysis of documents already signed and obligations undertaken,” he said. Salyukov pointed out that the strategic partnership charter between Armenia and the US, signed in 2025, states that “deepening Armenia’s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions is a shared priority” and that the parties “plan to expand security cooperation and reform programs aimed at enhancing interoperability.”
The Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary explained that “this signifies a course toward NATO standards that is enshrined in a political commitment.”
However, the strategic partner status implied by the 2025 charter can be revoked or suspended by a decision of the US President or even the head of the State Department. He recalled that “this is precisely what happened in 2024 with Georgia, with whom a similar charter had been signed in 2009.” “We also all remember well how American guarantees in Afghanistan ended,” the Russian Security Council official noted.
“If Yerevan opts for American security guarantees, it certainly risks facing potential disappointment with the results,” he said.
Salyukov noted that “events surrounding the transfer of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction were largely the consequence of policies pursued by the Armenian leadership that came to power following the so-called Velvet Revolution of 2018.” “However, the Armenian leadership used the outcome of these events not as an impetus to learn from mistakes, but as a pretext to publicly declare that military-technical cooperation with Russia and Armenia’s participation in the CSTO were ineffective—a stance that, in our view, is completely unfounded and shortsighted,” the Russian Security Council official emphasized.
He recalled that cooperation between the Russian Federation and… Cooperation with Armenia in the military sphere—following the formation of the CIS and the creation of CSTO structures—was conducted based on the principle of shared military and economic security across the board, utilizing unified standards for armed forces development, including the training of military personnel.
Armenia’s taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the gap between NATO and CSTO standards, warned Army General Oleg Salyukov, Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council.
“According to our military economists’ assessments, NATO standards are always expensive and by no means always effective,” he noted. Salyukov cited figures: “In 2025, NATO countries spent a combined total of $1.62663 trillion on defense. With a total force of 3,304,000 personnel, annual spending per service member amounted to approximately $493,000. Armenia’s military budget for that same year, 2025, stood at $1.713 billion.” He emphasized that “with an armed force of 65,000 personnel, Armenia spent $26,000 per service member annually—nineteen times less.”
“And this gap will have to be bridged at the expense of Armenia’s taxpayers,” the Russian Security Council official stated.
In his view, “statements by Armenia’s military-political leadership regarding measures to transition the armed forces to Euro-Atlantic standards—as well as the demonstration of specific steps and actions in this direction—are currently more declarative and political in nature.” “A genuine transition of Armenia’s armed forces to NATO standards would be a long, complex process requiring massive budgetary expenditure, with uncertain prospects for Armenia’s security,” Salyukov pointed out.
