US and France condemn Azerbaijani attacks on Armenia, while Russia apparently absent

Editor’s Note, 2:36 p.m. EST: This article was amended to reflect the resumption of Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenia’s eastern border.

The United States and France have directed unequivocal calls to Azerbaijan to withdraw its troops from Armenian territory as deadly attacks resumed on Armenia’s eastern border.

On the evening of September 28, Armenia’s Ministry of Defense reported that Azerbaijani forces opened fire on the eastern Armenian border using mortars and large-caliber weapons. Armenian officials say three soldiers were killed in the attacks. One Azerbaijani soldier was wounded, according to the MoD of Azerbaijan. 

The Ministries of Defense of Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of violating the ceasefire along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border every day between September 20-September 23. The Armenian Defense Ministry reported that one Armenian soldier was wounded on September 21, while the MoD of Azerbaijan said that three Azerbaijani soldiers were wounded on September 23.

On September 26, two days prior to the latest attacks, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price had urged the “disengagement of military forces and work to resolve all outstanding issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful negotiations.”

“Our message has been consistent for some time. We call on Azerbaijan to return troops to their initial positions,” Price said during a September 26 press briefing. “The use of force is not an acceptable path. We’ve made that clear privately. We’ve also made that clear publicly.”

French President Emmanuel Macron used similarly strong language during his meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Paris on September 26.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan (RA Prime Minister, September 26)

“Taking into account that there are occupied positions, France demanded that the Azerbaijani forces return to their initial positions,” Macron said. “I told President Aliyev on September 14 that the fact that the border is not demarcated cannot justify any advance into the territory of the other country.”

Macron reiterated “his demand for respect for the territorial integrity of Armenia” during a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the next day. He called on Aliyev to “return to respect for the ceasefire and to maintain forces in their initial positions.” 

French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu also insisted that “Azerbaijani forces must return to their initial positions” after a meeting with his Armenian counterpart Suren Papikyan on September 27. Lecornu announced that a French delegation will be sent to Armenia to “assess the situation.” 

Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan and French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu (Sebastien Lecornu, September 27)

That same day, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan hosted Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, and Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan’s president, in Washington, DC. They discussed “pursuing time-bound and focused negotiations” and “identified concrete steps forward in support of a stable and lasting peace.” 

The meetings follow a momentous trip to Yerevan by US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking US official to visit the Republic of Armenia. Pelosi explicitly blamed Azerbaijan for the latest round of fighting, condemning the “illegal and deadly attacks from Azerbaijan on Armenian territory.” 

The flurry of Western diplomacy in the South Caucasus follows a two-day war along Armenia’s eastern border from September 13-14, after Azerbaijan launched an unprecedented large-scale attack within the sovereign territory of Armenia. At least 207 Armenian soldiers and civilians were killed and 300 were wounded, while 60 homes were destroyed and 130 were damaged following intense shelling of 36 civilian communities in Armenia’s Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces, according to Armenian authorities. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reports 80 casualties and 284 wounded. 

The United States played an instrumental role in mediating a ceasefire that went into effect on September 15, according to Armenian authorities. Four days later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov, the first direct talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders since the fighting.  

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Antony Blinken, September 19)

Meanwhile, Russia has abstained from assigning blame for the latest escalation of tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin called on “everyone to show restraint” while commenting on the fighting on September 20.

“Let me emphasize that any conflict situations between states close to us cause us serious concern,” Putin said

Armenian authorities have expressed their dissatisfaction with Russia’s response to Azerbaijan’s attacks and the failure of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russian-led military bloc, to provide Armenia with military support.

Pashinyan warned during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22 that the “risk of new aggression by Azerbaijan remains very high” and that “Azerbaijan intends to occupy more territories of Armenia.” 

“Another factor for further escalation can be the inappropriate reaction to this situation by the regional security organizations, which raised very hard questions among Armenian society,” Pashinyan continued, in apparent reference to the CSTO. 

Secretary of the Security Council Grigoryan went even further, stating that Armenian authorities have “no hope” that the CSTO would provide Armenia with military assistance in the face of Azerbaijani attacks during a September 16 interview. 

Article 4 of the CSTO charter stipulates that an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all. Armenia appealed to the CSTO under Article 4 in the hours following the start of the attack. The CSTO responded that it would send a fact-finding mission to Armenia to “assess the situation” and “prepare a report” for presentation to the CSTO member states later this year. 

In addition to disgruntled comments from Armenian authorities, the perceived inaction on the part of Russia and the CSTO also sparked anti-Russian and anti-CSTO protests in Yerevan.

“We believe that the organization is outdated, useless and harmful for both the Republic of Armenia and other CSTO member sovereign republics,” said one protest organizer.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan said that Azerbaijan is “taking advantage of” the fact that Russia’s “attention is distracted” with other problems, in apparent reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine. He said that Russia’s preoccupation with Ukraine has produced a “breach” in the security guarantees offered by the Russian peacekeepers deployed in Artsakh, during a September 19 speech.  

Yet he continued on to call criticisms of the Russian peacekeeping mission a “provocation of a military and information nature aimed at undermining the role of the peacekeepers and creating mistrust towards Russia among the people of Artsakh” undertaken by “foreign hostile forces.”

“We look forward to the opportunity to increase the efficiency of the Russian peacekeeping mission and ensure its indefinite presence in Artsakh as the most important guarantee of the security of our people, regardless of its incomplete nature,” Harutyunyan said

Weekly staff will be monitoring the latest developments and will report on updates and further escalations.

Lillian Avedian

Lillian Avedian

Lillian Avedian is the assistant editor of the Armenian Weekly. She reports on international women's rights, South Caucasus politics, and diasporic identity. Her writing has also been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Democracy in Exile, and Girls on Key Press. She holds master's degrees in journalism and Near Eastern studies from New York University.

27 Comments

  1. Armenia wouldn’t exist if not for Russian heroism and sacrifice, both now and countless times in history. The USA and France are the ones who support Azerbaijan, both directly and through their proxies Turkey and Israel. The visit Pelosi is like a mafia boss offering protection to an extortion victim, you would have to be insane to think the American ruling elites sympathize with Armenia in any way. This is a crude ploy to weaken Russia, which is the only goal here.

    Armenian liberals are trying to destroy Armenia.

    • Yeah, right… Russia (or the Soviet Union) gave away Kars, Ardahan, Nakhichevan, now Karabakh. Putin thinks that Armenia still needs to make painful choices. Please also dont forget that 250,000 Armenians fought during WW2, and may never came back, in faraway lands defending Russian and Belorussian lands. What the hell for! Armenia’s “debts” have been paid long ago. The heroism and sacrifice of Russia was and has always been self-serving. Now, with a moron of a prime minister, Russia knows that it can manipulate this clown anytime and in any way that it likes. By the way, Lavrov being half Armenian is also interesting, isnt it? I wonder about the other half.

    • “The visit Pelosi is like a mafia boss”. You must be one of the external elements outside of the Armenian circle, with your “harsh hateful” tone.

      Mme Pelosi was elected as Speaker Of The United States by the House Of Representative members in 2019, and her decision-making abilities and character is well respected by the President of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the people of the U.S.

      Mme Pelosi’s visit to Armenia was symbolic and an act of appreciation toward the people of Armenia, for their achievements, who desired to become part of the free world, as they have chosen today their new government in a volatile place, like the South Caucasus, where freedom of speech still is unknown to many nations, surrounding Armenia.

  2. CSTO is controlled Russia and is mostly ant-Armenian, why did Armenia even bother to invoke Article 4 of the CSTO charter when almost every other CSTO members are all supportive of Azerbaijan.

    • At the end of the war in 2020, Nikol promised to abandon Artsakh, recognize Azerbaijan’s borders and give Azeris/Turks a route in Zangezur that Turks call, an exclusive “corridor” and Russians call, a “trade route” under Armenian/Russian control. Nikol later realized that when he does all this he will be ousted. He is therefore tyring to save his skin. Hence, the delays, the temper-tantrums, the running around the world looking for saviors…

      For their part, Turks and Azeris are putting pressure on Nikol to make him deliver what he promised back in 2020. This is one of the reasons why (the other being Ukraine) the CSTO was in no mood to immediately jump to Nikol’s western financed regime’s defense…

      So, put aside everything you are seeing/hearing in the media. Panic is being spread by both sides for different reasons. By Nikol, to convince the sheeple that we need to give Turks a corridor and it’s all Russia’s fault. By the opposition, to convince the sheeple that Nikol is deliberately destroying Armenia. What I just outlined above is what is happening…

      Think: why would the CSTO send forces to fight Azerbaijan (a country they want within their ranks) when Nikol’s regime has NOT mobilized Armenia’s armed forces; has NOT announced a state of emergency in the country; and has publicly stated that the fighting is simply a border skirmish and that their main goal is peace with Baku and Ankara…

      Think: Why would Russia send forces to fight Azerbaijan (a country they want within their orbit) and Turkey (a major NATO power), when they are in a major war in eastern Europe, and if that is exactly what Anglo-American-Jews are trying to have them do – with the help of Nikol’s regime nonetheless…

      We are where we are because of Armenian style incompetence, self destructive bevaviour, cognitive dissonance and political illiteracy. Period. None of this would have happened had we entered into a union with the Russian Federation. But no, a tiny, a landlocked and impoverished nation, one that is almost totally dependent on Russia for survival and is surrounded with enemies, wanted to play “complimentary politics” and allow its backward citizenry to “democratically elect” their leader. Brilliant. Well, now enjoy the show…

  3. Absolutely right, Pelosi and her ilk were out here to buy our people while swinging candy to our face. During the 2020 war these people couldn’t care less. Russia is distracted with its own issues and geopolitical interests in regards to its expansion towards Ukraine, not because of existential problem of failure to protect our integral sovereignty.

    • Let’s use some logic here. Armenia is a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and it was the responsibility of this organization to help Armenia and it did not and we are complaining about not getting help from others, i.e. ‘these people’, which Russia considers its adversary to say the least? It makes no sense. Somehow, Russia always gets a pass for not helping Armenia while those with whom we have no treaty are the ones being blamed for not helping us. Whether we like it or not, and for as long as Armenia is a CSTO member, the only help we are going to get from others is verbal and superficial. They can’t help us militarily for as long as we are in a different camp and are associated with their Russian adversary. We are the ones to be blamed because we put all our proverbial eggs in one basket, relying entirely on Russia that is, and when help does not arrive we start pointing fingers at everyone else but ourselves. Besides, CSTO is mostly made up of Central Asian states which have much closer ties with our enemies than they do with Armenia. We either freeze our membership with CSTO and seek help elsewhere until they come to their senses or leave it altogether. Armenia already has a direct security treaty with Russia and it does not need that incompetent and dysfunctional CSTO whose members at best remain neutral on issues important to Armenia. I personally believe we should conduct a multi-faceted foreign policy so that we are not stuck with only one partner who can decide not to show up in our most crucial times of need and has proven to be quite unreliable as well.

    • Speaker of the House Pelosi has always been supportive of Armenian American interests; and, Armenian American interests are in solidarity with the People of Armenia. I live on the San Francisco Peninsula, not far from Pelosi’s District; I’ve known about her for a very long time.

      Two of Nancy Pelosi’s close Associates have Armenian Heritage: [1] Congresswoman Jackie Speier with Armenian and German Heritage. [2] Congresswoman Anna Eshoo with Armenian and Assyrian Heritage.

      Congresswoman Pelosi & her Associates made a visit to both Armenia and Taiwan to visually and publicly show her support for those countries, a gesture with genuine and good intentions. Pelosi and the US Congress banned the sale of armaments to Azerbaijan, it’s the US State Department & White House that have repeatedly worked around that ban, though a sneaky loophole.

  4. Pelosi is also quite close to the Azeri lobby in Washington. All she has done for Armenia is lip service. Her visit to Armenia was primarily meant to further sour Yerevan’s relations with Moscow and Tehran. Armenians need to wake the hell up.

    • I don’t know whether you’re lying or just ignorant, but you’re wrong. Speaker of the House Pelosi has always backed Armenian American Interests.

      In 2007, Reuters News Agency harshly (but wrongly) criticized Pelosi, because she refused to shelve a Genocide Resolution, for the recognition & acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, as a genocide. Because Congress caved into geopolitical blackmail threats, from Turkey, the Resolution went down in defeat. Many craven & disgraceful Congressional Members openly & proudly admitted that they voted it down, so as not to offend NATO Ally Turkey.

      In 2019, Pelosi was at the forefront of another Congressional Resolution for the ackknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, as a genocide. That time it passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, and Unanimously in the Senate; only President Trump failed to support it, but President Biden later signed it into law, in 2021.

      Just Google around, and see how much rage is coming from Azerbaijan, after Pelosi & her Associates visited Armenia, and pointed the finger of condemnation directly upon Azerbaijan. And, please don’t slander good people.

  5. The political world is changing. Armenia cannot survive on its own. Armenia can’t serve two masters either. So, we have a choice to make. We need to pick side and stick with it. We can pick the West and become a vassal of Turkey and eventually disappear, or we can pick Russia and join the Russian Federation in some form and survive as a nation. The choice for any rational mind that has any concern for Armenia’s well being is obvious…

    • Union State or the Eurasian Union. In both cases, however, Armenia would need to have a common border with Russia. Now, don’t ask me how…

    • In case you didn’t realise that Russia and the collective west are engaged in a blatant proxy war in Ukraine, of which Russia has been faltering lately, which it may well loose unless resorting to ugly and extreme measures, with an exodus of men to many countries Inc Armenia hence if Armenia was to unify with the Russian Federation it would attract the kind of sanctions that Russia currently has also there is no common border. Unless Georgia is subsumed. In Europe there is a saying that not all roads lead to Rome and same should apply to Moscow for Armenia. Geographically there isn’t much the collective west can do for Armenia unless it was to go up against Turkey. Russia along with France and the USA stopped Armenia from recognise NK – Arktash as independent condemning the cause to failure! and now engaged in annexation in Ukraine. In my opinion the concept of territorial integrity is honourable yet futile since its trying “freeze time” and officially is to protect the weak but in practice is to protect the privilege of the established powers who drew or endorsed the borders that we know…

    • Dear Concerned Armenian, as Russia is clearly faltering in it’s attack on Ukraine which it appears set to loose or stalemate unless it resorts to (nuclear) and is in a blatant proxy war with the collective west attempts to unify with Russia from which many military service evaders have made their way to, would lead to Armenia being sanctioned just as Russia and Belarus are much to the delight of Turkey – Azerbaijan! Also as Armenia doesn’t have common border with Russia either. The ability of western military forces to assist Armenia in contention with Turkey – Azerbaijan is awkward with the geographical position aswell so “the west” can’t be Armenia’s saviour either. It was Russia along with France and the USA who deterred Armenia from even recognising NK/Arktash as independent when Armenia was ascendant condemning the cause to failure. Nevertheless Turkey is viewed as most duplicitous by the west now so it doesn’t enjoy the same free pass of previous years. Its easy to slam nikol as a traitor but the harsh reality is that Armenia is in a weak situation this something many diaspora seems unable to understand properly, bit like the Arabs were going to “liberate Jerusalem” until it became apparent its just not possible for the foreseeable future and they were only fooling themselves. I appreciate that Armenia is in a dilemma and there can be no ideal choices. There is a saying that not all roads lead to Rome thus for Armenia not all roads lead to Moscow either. There is no need to turn against Russia as Ukraine its slavic neighbour and kin has done with western backing but a more sober relationship with Russia would be better for Armenia

  6. Dear “Concerned Armenian” In case you don’t realise that Russia and the collective west are practically at war with each other and Armenia if legally linked to Russia would be sanctioned like Russia and a free pass for Turkey and Azerbaijan to attack. Also with Russia faltering in Ukraine and the Crimea bridge has been attacked successfully on Putin 70th birthday it unless resorting to the use of nuclear weapons and prospect of a major international war appears increasingly set to loose. You should also take into consideration that Armenia has no common border with Russia. Unless it gains authority over Georgia and or Azerbaijan aswell which seems most improbable currently. The is a saying in Europe not all roads lead to Rome and for Armenia not all roads lead to Moscow either. The historic Armenian diaspora is testament to that. I don’t hate Russia but best relationships between people and nations should be honest and realistic and for that matter have reserved views of the USA. For that matter the UK establishment prattle about special relationship with the USA but overlook why many went to the American colonies as they were and the circumstances of their independence and the fact our nuclear weapons guidance is linked to the USA thus cannot be operated without them hence the fealty.

    • Charles, if you seriously think that Russia and the collective West are two divergently different entities when in comes to global affairs, you deserve pity. No offense meant.

    • @Charles. Their “divergent difference” in regard to Russia is just there for show. Almost nothing in modern global politics can be taken at face value. If there was indeed “divergent difference” during war or in case of invasion or attack of a territory by a military force, the “collective West” wouldn’t bury their heads in the sand during the Azerbaijani and Turkish aggression against Artsakh in 2020, with Turkey, mind you, being a member-state of one of the most powerful actors of the “collective West”, NATO.

  7. How many troops does the US and or France have in Armenia? How many troops does Russia have in Armenia? Western Armenians have to be careful not to confuse verbal support with actual support.

    • Dear Mehri dour
      In the sense of the conflict in Ukraine that continues to escalate alarmingly then Russia and the “collective west” : NATO, EU, “FIVE EYES”, Japan , S. Korea, Taiwan and more discreetly Israel and even Switzerland although as would be obvious from such a large group not in perfect concordance with each other are most certainly divergently different in regards to Russia and its allies over Ukraine…

      I had a delay in the uploading hence the two similar posts and the duplication.

      It’s indeed a moot point, that unlike Russia there not being US and French troops in Armenia for support perhaps look to Afghanistan and Mali recently?

    • @Mehri dour,
      What show is it? Some theatre show we all act in for the creator to look down upon??

      Whilst one is only told half (not necessarily an equal one either) of what goes on in this world, broadly speaking what you see is what there actually is; sunny days are generally warm and icy days generally cold. When trees are swaying it’s generally windy. People who appear poor usually are poor , people who appear rich usually are rich. That philosophical musing aside. The reasons for major differences between the responses to Russia attack on Ukraine and the Azeri-Turkish attacks on NK/Arktash by the letter of the law Ukraine is a sovereign country and Russia is engaged in an invasion. By the letter of the law NK/Arktash is part of Azerbaijan that when part of the soviet union had some vague level of autonomy that Baku rescinded due to the unrest. That being said Russia has some justification for its actions in Ukraine and Armenians in NK/Arktash had justification to seek separation from Azerbaijan and some form of integration with Armenia. In 2020 the coronavirus outbreak was the primary concern of the time globally, but more significantly Russia had been wanting Armenia to withdraw from areas of Azerbaijan it had controlled since 1994 there were recurrent writings on this by a Moscow based shill author of US nationality of Polish heritage! called Andrew Korybko in the website Global Reaserch.ca who would constantly parrot mantras that Armenia must withdraw from internationally Azerbaijan territory citing four UN resolutions on the matter of course being a shill he had nothing to say of the circumstances of Armenian military presence and nothing about Russian sponsored military forces in the donbass of Ukraine and Russian annexation of Crimea. He would even make preposterous claims of how Russia and Israel were allies despite Putin and Netanyahu (Milanovsky) seemingly getting along just fine and the national relations at the time being broadly positive were in no way comparable to the relationship between Israel and the USA especially under Donald Trump. On this point over Syria he would be at pains to claim that the relationship between Russia and Israel was so brilliant even coining Putinyahu and Russisrael as figures of speech! That it was why Russia didn’t interfere with Israel attacks on Iranian assets in Syria and that it was even coordinated to encourage Iran to withdraw, and that it didn’t apparently put Russian reputation as an ally of Syria in any disrepute when Israel would make attacks on the Syrian government assets. Needless to say that post Netanyahu loss of office and subsequent events and decline of relations between Russia and Israel he no longer makes writings of that nature.. Nevertheless its interesting that Azerbaijan never succeeded in getting Armenian military presence recognised as an occupation in the UN which would lead to massive reparation claims. Also relevant is that in 2020 Donald Trump who was known to have business links with Turkey and very pro Israel which in turn was very pro Azerbaijan was the US president at the time of the Azeri-Turkish, Israel, Pakistan and Islamist groups backed attack on NK and Armenian held parts of Azerbaijan. From a strategic point of view of the transcaucasus hasn’t been a centre of attention from a European / Atlanticist perspective indeed if not for the copious amount oil and gas Azerbaijan wouldn’t be of great interest either. Turkey which although still legally secular is regarded as an odd one out and enfant terrible within NATO due to the majority of its territory being in Asia and being an overwhelmingly Muslim country. There is no doubt that it has enjoyed a free pass due its military strength and NATO membership. In the website Sorry Serbia by a former Norwegian soldier it stated about Turkey engaging in military repression against the Kurds at the same time as the yugoslav wars and the complete contrast in the “collective west” again! treatment stating that being part of NATO was to protect members from it as much be protected by it! Interestingly Turkey an “orphan” in many ways. In the stereotype sense the Arabs regarding them as pretenders (to Islamic leadership) , the Europeans as Muslim Asiatics, the Iranians as barbarous and the Central Asian Turanian peoples as bastardised. Also for Armenia in 2020 whilst effectively betrayed by Russia comfortable in Armenia being between a rock and a hard place it is legally part of the Russian system of alliances; CTSO and a direct defence treaty thus this too counted against Armenia regarding support from the “collective west” in those sad times…
      As for just for show the masses of weapons supplied by the “collective west” to blow up Russian military assets on a monumental scale and yes explosions do have their spectacular show effect! Notwithstanding Ukraines own (censored) massive losses, the massive curtailing of trade with Russia the freezing and sometimes seizing of Russian people assets. The rise in prices and scarcity of some items, is not really expected to be seen as a piece of theatre but as part of a massive breakdown in relations that is very real indeed

    • @Charles. “what you see is what there actually is”. This is a common misperception deep-seated in superficial people who are very away from politics. And, in real politics, which normally takes place behind the scenes, more often than not it’s windy because trees are swaying…

    • @Mehri dour, I’m sure the Armenian soldiers who fell in the recent ongoing clashes saw and felt what was going on before their deaths. There are talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the clashes establishing facts on ground to encourage progress at the negotiating table. In 1994 it was clear that Azerbaijan was loosing, in 2020 it was clear that it was Armenia who was loosing. But perhaps it was all a misperception of my superficial mind and Azerbaijan was actually made a “gesture of goodwill” and lift Armenian spirits when they abandoned their positions and equipment in 1994 and in 2020 Armenia felt the time was right to return the “gesture of goodwill” by taking a battering from Turkish built strike drones and Israeli built guided drones, all happening just for show like the issues between the said “collective west and Russia as you claimed earlier, disclaimer I’m being sarcastic, which is not my preferred way of writing as to show the absurdity of things somehow not being at face value, yes there was goings on behind the scenes as there always is but what happened was and is very real for those involved. My articles have been through and not at all superficial acknowledging and appreciating the conundrum Armenia faces. Due to Russia’s influence in Armenia how it fares in Ukraine will definitely affect its standing in Armenia, adjacent countries and the world. Hence for Armenia what happens on the steppes of Ukraine will resonate in the mountains of Armenia. Perhaps furthering facts would be more constructive. I commented because I wanted to add a balanced view to try and help those concerned to be realistic , not to taunt and gloat , not to chest beat in bravado , nor self pity, or deceive and give false hope. I don’t have links to Armenia nor its neighbours as such but from a distance one can see the landscape and in the right circumstances rainbows too yet close at hand these things aren’t so apparent. Charles

  8. Every single one of the accusations against Russia are politically motivated propaganda and fearmongering put out by professional Russophobes embedded throughout Armenian society, and mindlessly parroted by emotional simpletons who are incapable of understanding geopolitics. Despite what our professional Russophobes are desperately trying to convince us, Nikol is a Western/Turkish project. It can be proven in a court-of-law that Nikol and team were financed by various Western and Turkish interests. It can also be proven in a court-of-law that Nikol desired to expel Russians from Armenia, abandon Artsakh and unconditionally open Armenia’s south to Turkish and Azeri traffic. If Nikol is a “Russia agent”, as our professional Rusophobes want us to believe, then so are Mikhail Saakashvili, Abulfaz Elchibey and, in the bigger picture, Vladimir Zelensky. This is the bottom line: As long as Armenia remains occupied by a Western and Turkish financed and led regime, and seeks to weaken Moscow’s role in the south Caucasus via duplicitous antics, Russia will not lift a finger for Armenia.

    It is well known that revolutions end up eating their children. It is well known that politically illiteracy has a high cost and there are no free lunches in politics. Let’s also remember that you reap what you sow. As it has been for the past two thousands years, Armenians are the main authors of all the black pages in Armenian history. Knowing well who Nikol was, Armenians made their “democratic” choice in 2018 and in 2021. Now, stop complaining and enjoy the show…

    • What you say does not make much sense. It was well-known that the majority population in Armenia was pro-Russian because, among many reasons, they considered Russia as the balancing force in the region that kept our traditional enemy’s at arm’s length and that Russia acted as the defender and protector of her Armenian ally where, unlike other former Soviet states, Russia has military bases. Given these facts and Russia knowing Pashinyan was a Western & Turkish project, as you put it, which makes both the West and Turkey acting against Russia, why did the same Russia turn a blind eye on terrorist Turkey showing its ugly face in not just Armenia’s but Russia’s backyard as well after her absence from the region for a hundred years and militarily acting as artificial Azerbaijan’s mouthpiece threatening Armenia? Why didn’t your beloved Putin make a distinction between this Western & Turkish agent Pashinyan and the pro-Russian Armenian population and allow joint Turkish-Azerbaijani terrorist attack on the Armenians? Why not keep our Turkish and Azerbaijani enemies at bay and working on deposing Pashinyan instead? Wouldn’t this have made more sense? That is to remove this anti-Russian Armenian double-agent Pashniyan while protecting the Armenian population from the disaster they are facing today? Why would Russia sacrifice her pro-Russian Armenian population, and Armenia for that matter, because of a Western & Turkish Armenian double-agent Pashinyan? It makes NO sense. The only way one can make any sense out of this is if and only if Russia was in on this. You can’t tell me that politically ignorant and gullible Armenian population was aware of this conspiracy and voted for double-agent Pashinyan anyway. They did not but Russia did yet Russia did nothing to protect her pro-Russian Armenians.

  9. Political illiteracy and cognitive dissonance (i.e. being out of touch with reality) runs rife throughout Armenian society. Armenia is a nation that is almost totally dependent on Russia for survival. However, Armenia is also a nation that wants one foot in Russia and one foot in the West. Armenia is also a nation that is utterly saturated by Western and Turkish agents, informants, mercenaries, not to mention NGOs. When senior Russian officials begin seeing Armenia as a tiny, landlocked, impoverished and increasingly unreliable and problamatic “ally”, they will naturally be inclined to make deals with larger, wealthier and more powerful political players like Baku and Ankara – naturally at Yerevan’s expense. As I said, political illiteracy has a high cost and there are no free lunches in politics. Armenian style arrogance and incompetence, and of course the pursuit of Western fairytales like “democracy”, got us to where we are today. Had Armenia put an end to its western fetish and strove to be like a Belarus, Abkhazia or a Chechnya, the Kremlin would have had a vested interests in keeping keep Armenia secure and unmolested. We singlehadedly created the mess we are in today. That is why I keep saying, enjoy the show…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*