The Armenian government plans to increase military spending by about 20 per cent, equivalent to 110 billion drams (about $286 million). According to the proposed state budget for 2025, the Ministry of Defence will receive 664.6 billion drams (about $1.7 billion). Military expert Leonid Nersisyan, a researcher at the Armenian analytical centre APRI, describes this defence spending as unprecedented. However, he points out that despite the increased budget, Yerevan still lags far behind Baku in terms of military spending. Military spending remains lower than social spending in the state budget. Although the gap in military spending between Armenia and Azerbaijan is narrowing, with Armenia now trailing by a factor of two instead of five or six as it did in 2013, the difference remains significant.
However, Azerbaijan has expressed dissatisfaction with Armenia's increased military budget. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov criticised Yerevan's acquisition of "offensive weapons". Baku has regularly expressed concern about Armenia's "militarisation". In response, Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, have insisted that Armenia's military build-up is aimed solely at ensuring the security of its citizens.
Peter Stano, the European Commission's spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy, rejected Azerbaijan's accusations, saying that Armenia has a sovereign right to strengthen its defence capabilities. He clarified that EU assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility does not include offensive weapons. Stano underlined the EU's neutral stance and its close cooperation with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
