EU military aid to Armenia raises concerns over regional peace

The European Union’s decision to approve a new 20 million euro military assistance package for Armenia has raised concerns among regional experts, who warn the move could undermine peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

EU ambassadors have approved the funding under the European Peace Facility, with officials saying the assistance will be limited to non-lethal military equipment.

The allocation follows an earlier 10 million euro package approved in 2024, marking the first time the EU has provided military-related support to Armenia under the facility.

Speaking to AnewZ, Shiraz Mahmood Khan, a research scholar at the Western Caspian University, said the timing of the assistance is especially problematic given recent diplomatic progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Well, the peace process, as we know that it took place last year in Washington in the presence of President Trump and both of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Khan said, adding that “the region came out of the conflict of decade, and at last the region was at peace.”

Khan argued that the EU’s decision risks upsetting that fragile balance, saying the funding appears to prioritise military considerations at a moment when confidence-building measures are crucial.

He warned that strengthening one side, even through non-lethal support, could undermine trust and create new security concerns for Azerbaijan.

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The analyst also highlighted broader concerns about EU policy toward the region, noting that previous cooperation documents between Brussels and Yerevan had already raised questions in Baku.

Azerbaijan, Khan noted, has sought to move beyond decades of conflict and is now focused on economic development, trade and regional cooperation. He warned that funding only one party risks weakening an already fragile peace process.

“If you're funding one of the parties and not funding the other, it becomes fragile automatically,” Khan said.

He added that the EU’s credibility as a neutral and stabilising partner could be at stake if such an approach continues, stressing that lasting peace in the South Caucasus depends on balance and impartiality.

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