Aliyev claimed last week that the Armenian military is receiving “lethal weapons” from not only France and India but also the United States.
“The U.S. does not acknowledge it,” he told the state-run Russia Today broadcaster. “However, we have tracked military transport planes landing at Armenian airports, delivering weapons there.”
Aliyev did not offer any proof of the claim or specify the types of U.S. military equipment he said was provided to Armenia.
Commenting on Aliyev’s allegations, a State Department spokesperson said: “U.S. security assistance to both Armenia and Azerbaijan is focused on strengthening interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces, increasing military professionalization, and securing their borders with Iran.”
“The United States calibrates all its security assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan to ensure that it is not usable for offensive purposes and does not undermine or hamper ongoing efforts to negotiate a durable and dignified peace,” the official added in a statement to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
Despite its growing military cooperation with Armenia, Washington has not reported any arms supplies to the South Caucasus nation to date. Nor has it signaled plans for such deliveries.
Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikian met with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a visit to Washington earlier this month. Austin said they discussed “our growing strategic partnership through training and exercises, military education, and capacity-building.”
In his interview with Russia Today, Aliyev also repeated multiple conditions for signing a peace deal with Armenia. Those include an end to Yerevan’s arms acquisitions.
“We have repeatedly told Armenia and its sponsors in the U.S. State Department that the armament must stop,” he said.
The Azerbaijani government plans to spend about $5 billion on defense and national security next year, a fact emphasized by Aliyev. Armenia’s 2025 defense budget is projected at $1.7 billion.
Armenian officials said earlier this year that Baku may be planning to launch another military aggression against Armenia after hosting the COP29 climate summit in November. Some observers in Yerevan say that increased contacts between Azerbaijani and Turkish military officials reported in recent weeks may be a sign of preparations for such military action.
