Armenia’s Survival Depends On a Strong Military, not Empty Rhetoric — By Harut Sassounian

Responding to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s daily statements is a full-time job. I take no pleasure in repeatedly criticizing him, but it would be irresponsible to ignore his anti-national positions without worrying about their destructive consequences.

Here is the latest example of his questionable remarks:

In a 46-minute-long speech at the “Comprehensive Security and Resilience 2025” international conference in Yerevan on Sept. 15, Pashinyan began by arguing that “previously, the primary tools for reducing our external security vulnerabilities were military-political alliances and the army.” However, he claimed that “history has proven that this formula did not work….” He asserted that “legitimacy” matters more than military strength for safeguarding the nation. He even suggested that “this strategy has made peace possible,” a transparent ploy to persuade voters to back his political party in next year’s parliamentary elections.

Inexplicably, Pashinyan then tied his “legitimacy strategy” to army’s goals, declaring: “The army of the Armenian Republic has nothing to do outside the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Armenian, it has no problem, and the task of the army is to ensure the protection of the Armenian Republic’s internationally recognized borders.”

This statement is a thinly veiled attempt to justify surrendering the demands of future generations for Armenia’s historical rights. It would be preferable if he simply remained quiet rather than prematurely give up those rights long before the opportune moment arrives.

Pashinyan also repeated his erroneous claim that recognizing Armenia’s current borders makes it easier to buy weapons. In his view, arms suppliers will trust that Armenia won’t use the weapons in a “non-legitimate manner.” He fails to grasp that the legitimacy of Armenia’s borders has nothing to do with being able to purchase weapons. The only thing that matters is one’s ability to pay for the purchase. Either you have the money to pay for the weapons or you don’t. If you are willing to pay, there will be plenty of countries that are ready to sell you any weapon you want; no questions asked. Legitimacy is irrelevant to the arms market.

Next, Pashinyan absurdly stated that in the past, “the army was our first, second, third, and fourth line of defense…. If your first tool to defend your security is the army, it means you have no defense. The army should not be the first, second, third, fourth or fifth tool for security. It should be the very last one for our security…. It shouldn’t even be the 15th, 50th or 100th.” It is not surprising that the Prime Minister, having lost a devastating war in 2020, would utter such spineless nonsense.

Instead of strengthening the military with modern weapons to deter enemies that are openly threatening Armenia’s existence, Pashinyan is saying that the army should be the last resort to defend the country. With such defeatist thinking, Armenia risks losing even the small territory it has now.

Facing more powerful enemies should not mean that Armenia must refrain from acquiring the necessary weapons to defend itself. Just the opposite. When you are armed to the teeth, even the most powerful enemy will think twice before attacking you, knowing full well that it too will suffer losses. When you are weaker than your enemy, remaining defenseless is not the solution. Being unable to defend yourself is a recipe for disaster. The enemy can easily march to Yerevan without firing a single shot.

Pashinyan illustrated his point with the silly example of painting a mural on the outside wall of your house, sending the message that the neighbor is not entitled to the house he lives in. “This will lead to a dispute, fight, conflict, war.” Pashinyan does not seem to understand that painting whatever you want on the walls of your house, does not grant your neighbor a license to attack your house and murder your family members. If your enemy knows that you are well-armed and ready to defend your house, he will be discouraged from carrying out his hostile intent.

The Prime Minister wrongly thinks that Armenia will continue to exist as a state 50, 100, 150 years from now. He boasted: “We are today more independent than ever before, more sovereign than ever, a state more than ever, and allow me to say, we are safer than ever. The Republic of Armenia has never had more security during its independence than it has today.”

In reality, Pashinyan’s defeatist doctrine plants doubt that Armenia may survive under his rule.

Armenia cannot risk its security by treating the military as a low priority. True legitimacy springs not from empty words but from the tangible guarantee that Armenia’s borders — and its people — are defended by capable, well-equipped forces. It is time for the Prime Minister and the entire leadership to abandon defeatist rhetoric, strengthen strategic alliances, and invest decisively in modernizing the Armenian military. Only then can Armenians ensure that no adversary dares test their resolve to defend their sovereignty, which will make Armenia endure as a free, secure, and proud nation for generations to come.