Armenian Prime Minister strongly criticized Russia on Sunday for failing to fulfill its role in Karabakh and said that Armenia made a strategic mistake by relying solely on Moscow to ensure its security.
Armenia’s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan stated on Sunday that relying solely on Russia for security was a strategic mistake, as Moscow couldn’t fulfill its promises during the Karabakh conflict against Azerbaijan.
In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica, relayed by Reuters on Sunday, Nikol Pashinyan accused Russia of failing to ensure Armenia’s security amid what he described as aggression from neighboring Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Pashinyan suggested that Moscow, with a defense pact and military base in Armenia, didn’t see Armenians as sufficiently pro-Russian. He also noted Russia’s gradual withdrawal from the South Caucasus region.
Yerevan is now seeking to diversify its security arrangements, possibly through ties with the European Union, the United States, and other regional countries.
“Armenia’s security architecture was 99.999% linked to Russia, including the purchase of weapons and ammunition,” Pashinyan told La Repubblica.
“But today we see that Russia itself needs weapons and ammunition (for its invasion of Ukraine) and in this situation, it is understandable that even if it wants it, the Russian Federation cannot meet Armenia’s security needs.”
“This example should show us that depending on a single security partner is a strategic error,” he added, according to the transcript provided by Reuters.
Pashinyan’s comments highlight Armenian resentment over what many perceive as Russia’s failure to protect Armenian interests. He also accused Russian ‘peacekeeping’ soldiers, deployed to enforce the ceasefire agreement, of not fulfilling their duties.
Katrine Dige Houmøller, with Reuters and La Repubblica
