Ilham Aliyev: “Armenia can’t keep up with us in arms race”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti, announced that the country’s military budget for 2025 will reach a record $5 billion. He attributed this increase to an ongoing arms race, stating, “Armenia cannot sustain an arms race with us, despite receiving most of its weapons from the West either for free or on credit, which will, of course, eventually be forgiven.”

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by Dmitry Kiselyov, the director-general of the Russian media group Rossiya Segodnya, for VGTRK and RIA Novosti.

Aliyev expressed hope that relations between Russia and NATO would not escalate into open conflict:

“Imagining a scenario where NATO and Russia engage in a full-scale war is akin to envisioning a global apocalypse. It’s clear there would be no winners in such a conflict. No country, even those far from NATO’s region or Russian territory, would feel safe. I believe there is enough political wisdom in Washington, Moscow, and other capitals to prevent such a nightmarish scenario.”

The Azerbaijani president also mentioned his country’s potential role as a venue for dialogue between opposing sides:

“Given the unique nature of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and the fact that Azerbaijan is seen as a completely independent player by both the West and the East, we are in a unique position. Azerbaijan is the only country that is simultaneously an ally of Russia and Turkey, a NATO member. There is no other country like this in the world.”

Aliyev added that Azerbaijan is among the few countries trusted by the West, Russia, and the East:

“We are ready to contribute to easing tensions if such a need arises.”

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev answers questions from Russia’s RIA Novosti. Photo: AzərTAC

On possibility of Turkish military base in Azerbaijan

When asked, “Does Azerbaijan need a Turkish military base?” President Aliyev responded succinctly: “No, it does not.”

He explained that the Declaration on Alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan, signed in 2021 in Shusha, includes a clause that ensures mutual military assistance in the event of a threat or aggression:

“This means it is a commitment for both Azerbaijan and Turkey to assist each other if either country faces an external threat or aggression. Therefore, this clause in the declaration essentially eliminates the need for the establishment of any permanent military infrastructure on either territory.”

Speaking about Armenia’s armament by third countries, President Aliyev emphasized that the threats are “quite serious”:

“The weapons supplied to Armenia by Macron’s government are offensive and lethal, posing a real threat to Azerbaijan.”

According to the Azerbaijani leader, Armenia’s rapid militarization has led to a record-high military budget for Azerbaijan in 2025:

“This amounts to approximately five billion dollars. We have no choice. At least 60 percent of this sum would not have been spent if these threats did not exist. We would have allocated it to rebuilding Karabakh, social benefits, and other needs. But we are compelled to do this, and we will do it.”

Aliyev added that he considers the arms race a destructive path:

“I believe this is a harmful course. First of all, Armenia cannot sustain an arms race with us, even though they receive the majority of their weapons from the West for free or on credit, which will, of course, eventually be forgiven. But even under these circumstances, they cannot keep up with us.”

“The results of the second Karabakh war and the counter-terrorism operation of September 2023 should not be forgotten by them. They must also understand that despite maximum support from Macron’s regime and the U.S. State Department, if they dare provoke us again here on the ground, no one will come to their aid.”

“Well, how did Macron help them in 2020 or 2023? He held their hand, maybe more—I don’t know in what other way. That’s all. We know perfectly well what he is capable of.”

“We are making it clear—and will continue to do so—both within the negotiation process and through the delimitation commission working between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as to Armenia’s sponsors, the so-called Sorosites in Washington, that this must stop. But if it continues, let there be no complaints about our response,” Aliyev concluded.

Aliyev noted that significant progress has been made on the peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with 15 out of 17 articles already agreed upon.

“During my most recent meeting with Armenia’s Prime Minister in Kazan, what I heard and felt was that these two unresolved articles could also be accepted by Armenia,” the Azerbaijani president emphasized.

He added that one of the unresolved articles pertains to refraining from filing international claims against one another: “We recently completed a detailed analysis of the damage inflicted, which took four years to document. The total exceeds $150 billion—damage caused during the years of occupation. Therefore, mutual abstention from claims would, I believe, be mutually acceptable.”

“The other unresolved article concerns the non-deployment of representatives from other countries on our border,” Aliyev stated.

“There are also two additional steps that Armenia must take. The first is to amend its constitution. The Armenian constitution references the Declaration of Independence, which includes territorial claims against Azerbaijan, declaring the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region as part of Armenia. Therefore, amending the constitution is not our whim; it is simply an objective condition.

Our second condition is the formal dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. Since this requires consensus, it is formally impossible without Armenia’s agreement. Although the OSCE Minsk Group has long been non-functional, it still formally exists. Our question is simple: if Armenia has recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and the Minsk Group was created to resolve the Karabakh issue, then what is its purpose?”

“In Georgia, I see the situation stabilizing, and we are pleased about this. Georgia is an essential partner and close friend for us,” said Ilham Aliyev.

“Returning to the topic of external influence, it has become evident that thousands of non-governmental organizations operate in Georgia, funded by the West. The number of people working in these organizations or receiving salaries must be tens of thousands, if not more. We know what this means.

There was a time here in our country when grant recipients and grant providers also felt free to act, but we put an end to that. Now, any grant from any organization, whether Azerbaijani or foreign, must go through registration, and the relevant authorities decide whether to approve it,” emphasized the Azerbaijani president.

He also pointed out that Azerbaijani media cannot be funded from foreign sources, even by one percent:

“They cannot. Why should they? We don’t fund media in the U.S., do we? So why should they fund ours? And even without direct funding, through their resources like ‘Voice of America’ and ‘Radio Free Europe,’ they spread slander about our people and our country, casting a shadow on our victory [in the war] with Armenia.

I feel that in Georgia, some time was lost in bringing order to this matter. By the time it was addressed, as the saying goes, the train had already left the station. But it’s good that the situation is now moving toward stability.

And once again, you can see Macron’s ears sticking out. He just can’t stay within his own country; he has to meddle in Georgia as well.”