While addressing the Armenian parliament this week, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that he is ready to recognize Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, an announcement that has sparked outrage across Armenia, Artsakh and the Diaspora.
“Azerbaijan has made it clear: if you do not recognize our territorial integrity, we will not recognize yours. Meaning, if you don’t recognize that Azerbaijan is 86,600 square kilometers, then we don’t recognize that Armenia is 29,800 square kilometers,” Pashinyan said in the National Assembly.
Pashinyan raised the number 86,600 during a four-and-a-half hour press conference on May 22. He said that Armenia is ready to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity of 86,600 square kilometers.
“Azerbaijan’s 86,600 square kilometers includes Nagorno-Karabakh, but it should also be said that the issue of the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must be discussed in the Baku-Stepanakert format,” said Pashinyan.
Pashinyan has previously said that Armenia is prepared to recognize Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. However, this is the first time he has explicitly said that Artsakh would be included within Azerbaijan’s borders. While addressing the National Assembly on April 13, 2022, Pashinyan said that he is prepared to “lower the bar” on the status of Artsakh in negotiations on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. During a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev mediated by the EU on October 6, 2022, both sides recognized each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“This conversation takes place in front of the eyes of the international community. When Azerbaijan continuously attacks Armenia, and we have dialogue with the international community, Azerbaijan says that Armenia does not recognize our territorial integrity either and attacks us,” Pashinyan said in parliament on Wednesday.
Azerbaijan has launched several rounds of border attacks on Armenia proper since both sides reached a truce on November 9, 2020 ending the war in Artsakh. Azerbaijani forces have reportedly captured around 215 square kilometers of Armenian territory in the past three years.
The figure 86,600 was first introduced during a trilateral meeting in Brussels between Pashinyan, Aliyev and European Council president Charles Michel on May 14. Michel said that the leaders “confirmed their unequivocal commitment” to each other’s territorial integrity. He added that he “encouraged Azerbaijan to engage in developing a positive agenda with the aim of guaranteeing the rights and security” of the Armenians living in Artsakh.
“I also raised the need for a transparent and constructive dialogue between Baku and this population,” Michel said.
The talks followed several days of negotiations held in Washington between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenian authorities said that the ministers failed to reach agreements on the creation of an international mechanism to oversee talks between Artsakh and Azerbaijan and recognition of Armenia’s territorial integrity.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly dismissed the idea of international mediation of talks between Baku and Stepanakert or of granting Artsakh a special status within its borders.
“The Karabakh region is the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan, and like other ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan, the rights and security of Armenian residents will be ensured within Azerbaijan’s internal legislation,” Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, said on May 15.
Last month, Aliyev said that the Armenians of Artsakh should “either accept Azerbaijani citizenship or find another place to live.”
“We have repeatedly stated that we will not discuss our internal affairs with any country. Karabakh is our internal matter,” Aliyev said.
During his Monday press conference, Pashinyan added that there should be “international guarantees during negotiations, considering that the issue of the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh can be forgotten, and Azerbaijan continue its policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Azerbaijan has placed Artsakh under blockade since December 2022, closing the Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor, the sole route connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the rest of the world. The region’s 120,000 Armenians have been cut off from access to food, medical supplies, electricity and natural gas.
Pashinyan’s announcement was met with outrage from Artsakh leadership. The Artsakh National Assembly adopted a unanimous statement calling on “all Armenians not to allow the current authorities to take a part of the motherland Armenia,” threatening that this would “inevitably lead to the loss of Armenian statehood.”
“For us, any statement of Nikol Pashinyan ignoring the sovereignty of the Republic of Artsakh and the right of self-determination of our people, and any document drawn up on its basis, is unacceptable and worthless. Artsakh will never give up its unwavering struggle,” the statement reads.
Former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan also denounced Pashinyan’s announcement. “Pashinyan does not have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the people of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. His statement reflects his personal opinion, which he is trying to enforce on the people,” Vardanyan tweeted.
Opposition politicians within Armenia have called for street protests to remove Pashinyan’s administration from power. Ishkhan Saghatelyan, Armenia Alliance MP and former speaker of the National Assembly, said that the opposition will launch a united “popular resistance” to prevent the “surrender” of Artsakh and Armenia.
“[The authorities] are not legitimate. They do not reflect the will of the Armenian people. Therefore, any effort to get rid of these authorities and save the country is legitimate, be it civil disobedience or an uprising,” Saghatelyan told reporters on May 23.
Meanwhile the West has indicated its support for Pashinyan’s announcement. During a hearing of the US House Subcommittee on Europe, Erin Elizabeth McKee from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) welcomed Pashinyan’s statement as a sign of “progress.” She called it an “important first step that the team had put on the table.”
Pashinyan and Aliyev plan to meet in Moscow on May 25 and in Chișinău on June 1.
Lillian Avedian
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His entire life, Nikol dreamed of abandoning Artsakh, forgetting about the Armenian Genocide, unconditionally opening Armenia’s borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey and, last but not least, bring Armenia out of Russia’s orbit his entire life. Western and Turkish interests therefore placed Nikol into power in 2018 exactly for this purpose. To it’s utter disgrace, the Armenian world, both native and diasporan, preferred to keep Nikol in power not once but twice. That’s when Russia pulled its protective hand away just slightly. The rest is history, as they say. All in all, the last 5 years in Armenia was the by product of so-called democracy and the self-destructive efforts of Armenians to use the West as a hedge against Russia. Armenians have no right to complain today, as they were the main authors of the country’s latest tragedy…
I agree with you, we Armenians overvalue our intigence, we didn’t learn that ”it’s better a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away” foreign agents brought Nikol to power and some of them are going to benifit financially from this disaster.
Agree. Our “complementary politics” alienated our only ally. When you try to please both sides of a political divide, none is pleased with you. Armenians are out of touch with reality it seems.
Russia’s protective hand – perhaps go to Ukraine in person and tell them about this, I await your response to this proposal.
Armenia for various reasons failed to recognise Arktash as an independent nation yet bizarrely tried to get others to do what it wouldn’t do itself. The Madrid frameworks acknowledged it as part of Azerbaijan but not formally affirmed by Armenia on a constitutional level. The collapse of Armenian authority in 2020 meant the cause was hopeless.
Armenia despite what the make believers assume had lost its military advantage with Azerbaijan long ago and the ratio that stood in 1994 ceasefire was very much out of date this first showed slightly in 2016 and unavoidably in 2020 . Armenia must acknowledge that Russia signed away Kars to Turkey and assigned Arktash and Nax to Azerbaijan as part of its own machinations to Armenia detriment if Armenia formally acknowledged the boundaries it should have the courage like Romania had with Ukraine over snake island briefly held by Russia in 2022 of making a statement of admonition about Russia for the territorial assignments. In this difficult time there is no longer any reason to keep up the pretence about Russia as an ally. No reason to do a Ukraine and become a bitter enemy after all Armenia doesn’t have a common border with Russia so can as graciously as possible cast Russia off without acrimony. If Russia was sweeping through Ukraine and crushing them and fending off Azerbaijan and helping Arktash to join Armenia or even as a separate entity openly then Armenia would have reason not to recognise N-K as Azerbaijan rather than acknowledge reality admit failure and hope for the best as it has at present. Simply one can forgive an enemy but not a friend who has taken one for granted, let one down, colluded with ones enemies
Its amazing that this loser traitor pretending to speak for all Armenians is giving away ancient Armenian lands, with peoples lives in it, to a made up Zionist invested, Turkish despotic run gas station invented in 1918. As if its his to give away. Yes the old regimes needed to be rid. They were highly corrupt and traitors in their own right robbing the people of free will and wealth just to line their own pockets.. And no sorry to say Russian hegemony isn’t the answer either. Russia has never ever been concerned for Armenia and or Armenians. Its only interest is Russia and has historically screwed Armenia in many ways. Unfortunately this implanted dirt bag who brings complete ruin was ushered in blindly. He is the perfect Turkish storm. He is highly incompetent, highly vindictive and highly dangerous the entire Armenian race and nation. HE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED. Never forget him. His day will come.
Yes Monte, he needs to be removed before he gives Armenia to Turkey.
He IS a traitor and wonder how much he sold out for!
Pusht-inian should be removed from office, as he only has his pockets in mind and NOT the Armenian People.
We ALL need to rebel against this direction, as our Brothers, Sisters, Children, Ungers died for the Indipenence of Artsakh.
Miayne zenkove ga Hyots Pergutiun!
I do not like the thought as this total surrender to Azerbaijan will not guarantee any rights for Artsakh citizens from vengeful Azeris . Yet face it Armenia lost the 2020 war and has no hope of winning another one or recapturing Artsakh. The seeds of defeat were laid before Pashinian came to power. Armenia has no one to look to for military or economic help . Do you want martyrdom ?
You’re partly right, but this leader is an obvious plant by the west. And Artsakh is the cost for Armenians putting him in power and allowing him to alienate the Russians. the 2020 war doesn’t happen with sargysyan still in power
Indeed and many of the comments here are of an alternate reality, the seeds of defeat were laid BEFORE Pashinyan! Although I would still consider him a poor leader in many ways. Russias woes in Ukraine have enlightened some to this reality but others remain firmly in denial. Also has shown that being in a state of confrontation with Turkey and Azerbaijan whilst relying on Russia for protection is unsustainable and increasingly unviable. There seems to be no acknowledgement at all that Azerbaijan the loser of 1994 hence had an impetus to change and learn as the defeated tends to do more than the winner had modernised it’s military far more than Armenia. That the we could beat them one on one always and they only won because of foreign backing and apparent betrayal in 2020. Likewise for Russia in Ukraine, without the support Ukraine is receiving Russia would be much more successful but this is a pointless cold comfort to them just as it is for Armenians regarding Azerbaijan. Recent events have led to more realistic sentiments about what happened in 2020 and how to view Russia but far too many prefer to engage in whataboutism and escapism rather than acknowledge the reality. There is a saying in investing that past performance shouldn’t be taken as an indicator of future success thus winning in 1994 never meant that Armenia was entitled to win likewise again. Arktash seems screwed as matters stand and if lost to Azerbaijan Armenia must in turn review it’s relationship with Russia as you can forgive an enemy more easily than a friend who’s let you down. If Russia thinks that letting Armenia lose Arktash will have no effect on its relationship with Armenia which has been defined by the seemingly irritractable issues with Turkey and Azerbaijan that Russia has taken for granted in the basis of its relationship with Armenia, that this would help to improve their relationship with Azerbaijan and put more distance between Azerbaijan and Turkey and a return to some kind of Soviet/Russian empire community then they are concieted and delusional aswell… Yet Armenia should realise being in a situation where it was so dependent on Russia is akin to a chess piece guarded by piece from being taken suddenly lossing that piece guarding their and being taken !
It is interesting that those opposing the Armenian government’s decisions don’t seem to have practiced answers for the serious geopolitical problems faced by Armenia. Azerbaijan with the backing of Turkey can split Armenia into half if it wishes as the Russians have demonstrated their unwillingness or inability to protect Armenia against Azeri aggression. So what should Armenia do? Ignore the geopolitical reality and the great disparity in military capabilities between it and its western and eastern neighbours and refuse to sign a peace treaty or recognise the territorial integrity of its neighbours? What will that policy bring? It will make the diaspora happy but simultaneously result in Armenia being split into half which will make it an unviable state and turn it into a client state of competing regional powers. The 44-day war demonstrated the lack of options Armenia faces both militarily and politically. Now is not the time to ride the nationalist bandwagon. We need time to consolidate, rebuild and strengthen. Borders are never permanent but if Armenia loses its sovereignty because of failure to recognise the limits of its current powers and geopolitical realities, there may not be another opportunity to restore independence and sovereignty.
Hagop I agree with you however Armenia did liberate and hold its its own for 30 plus years. So please answer what changed? Isn’t it clear that this incompetent purposeful loser was implanted who absolutely has no clue about anything military OR GEO-political and so was a major part of this loss? And still is? HE HATES ARTSAKH and that is clear. He blames Artsakh for Armenia’s current condition and believes that by giving up rightful lands and its people and by pivoting west, Armenia will somehow prosper. He is an idiot. Zareh Sinanyan, high commissioner of Diaspora Affairs of Armenia recently made clear that he “knew that the war was lost early on because of the incompetents of the current regime”. That is totally unacceptable. I don’t know about you but I’m tired of Armenian corrupt thieves and or useless losers at the helm. That seems to be the only thing Armenia has had for centuries sorry to say. Geopolitical reality? Nope self inflicted wounds. I’m tired of it. UNITY around patriotic intelligent competent leadership is the answer. One Armenia, Artsakh and diaspora all working as one. NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK.
30 years ago we won because Azerbaijan did have an army, because we had Russia on our side and because Armenia’s Soviet generation was head and shoulders above the current Facebook and TikTok generation.
30 years ago we won because Azerbaijan did NOT have an army, because we had Russia on our side and because Armenia’s Soviet generation was head and shoulders above the current Facebook and TikTok generation.
Calling on the People of Armenia and all Diasporan Armenians to take to the streets and protest this traitors actions!
We cannot give one centimeter of our precious soil away. So sad for our country. The plunder and oppression continues.
Yes One Armenia, Artsakh and diaspora together we must unite now. This is time long last we must work together. I am here to help what I can do. Who else it willing to join this togetherness?
We Armenians didn’t learn that we should only trust ourselevs.
We also didn’t learn the fundamentals of geopolitics and how to maintain allies.
Well! It’s high time we did! Or, we’re done for!
This guy is naive! Give the Turk an inch he’ll take a mile! We are dealing with Armenian haters. My message to Pashinian, “Get down! If you can’t do your job properly then let those who are connoisseurs with such matters take over. You have done your job getting rid of corruption. But now you must let those more capable bodies take over. Or you are going to be known as the one who sent the old Armenia to her demise. Ask for help from your own people instead of looking out. The diaspora is here waiting. Atsakhtsik are strong in their own conviction and sacrificing everything by standing their ground. You can’t do this on your own”.
Who are these capable human beings which will take over.the reality is that 30 years of corruption has destroyed our country and Pashinian is trying to save what remains.
Since the Russians do not care much about Armenia anymore and is not honouring its’ military commitments, then they would not mind if we looked towards the West. Mr. Pashinyan had his chance. His blundres have to come to an end, if it is not too late. Armenia is of interest to the West. It’s time.
Just like that for free? Come on. Such major things are not done for free. The West must give Armenia something.
Illegitimate Nicole is a criminal that should have been kicked out of power long time ago he has made so many terrible decisions and humiliate Armenians all over the world. He is disingenuous, deceitful and toxic.
Giving in to the Turks and their blood brothers in Azerbaijan is simply abandoning the indigenous Armenian people of Artsakh. As my aunt, the last member of my family who survived the genocide, emphatically stated just before she died over 15 years ago – ‘The Turks will do to Artsakh as they did to Nakhijevan’ (Armenian wording). Just like the Azeris bulldozing over khatchkars in Nakhijevan, in 50 years there will be no signs or markers of the indigenous people of Artsakh. However, that should be choice of the people who now live in Armenia as they are the closest for the situation and have to live with the consequences.
Nicol’s intention has been to create a society so weak and uninformed thus wiping out critical thinking and awareness among Armenians, Nicol by definition is biggest deception to his own people.
If this is a “done deal” a condition must be added. Armenia must have an open border & access to either the Aegean or the Black sea.
most of the comments here are just emotional ramblings devoid of rational thinking. Russia is weak, Azerbaijan has never been in a much better position and Armenia in a much worse One. lets say a hothead removes pashinyan from power and says I don’t recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the next attacks from Azerbaijan will remind Armenia again why it lost the 44 day war.
@ Austin onah, Indeed so about the ramblings and in essence thinking the Azeris were in a time warp from 1994 , when actually it was the Armenians who were / are more in a time warp. Armenia won but it wasn’t as decisive as they made out it was no Germany 1945 more a 1918 scenario. A failure to make an offer such a supervised access to Nax , then even a fudge where it was Azerbaijan but an Armenian protectorate on the pain of resumption of hostilities when Armenia had the advantage. Instead years rolled by the impetus was lost,war damage repaired people’s lives in N-K became comfortable putting down roots in essence and settling into a normality and comfortable existence. Surely Armenia must have had spies who could tell them that Azerbaijan was getting stronger perhaps if so this was ignored as Armenia had won against the odds in 1994 and had fortified it’s positions so thought lady luck would continue as before perhaps?? Examples where India and Israel as victors made returns not of everything they took some victors privelege seem to have been ignored by Armenia who in essence became obsinate and obvious to the reality the minor lesson in 2016 was small enough to be brushed off the rout in 2020 could not. There was a popular view that Russia let Armenia loose in 2020 to teach them a lesson about loyalty well look at the situation Russia is in Ukraine now! No fables of the west wouldn’t support Azerbaijan like it supports Ukraine as an argument in defence of Russia in Armenia its not like Russia will make the same efforts in Armenia that it’s making in Ukraine even if it hadn’t have got into its calamity currently Ukraine is personal to Russia Armenia is political. Maybe if Russia was storming to success in Ukraine explicitly supported Armenian self determination, unjust boundaries with Azerbaijan etc threatening Baku with attack then Pashinyan would be missing the chance of a century of epoch making change but as we know that is not the case. Those who want to blame Pashinyan for the disaster in 2020 should look at what’s happening to their heroes Russia in Ukraine and realise that maybe it wasn’t a betrayal as such but a case of loosing to a stronger foe.
The glue that holds together Aliyev’s society is simply hatred of Armenians justified by self-pity. Islamic values, Persian culture, and the socialist ethic have all been purged. Khojali is their Holocaust, used as an excuse for whatever direction Aliyev wants to steer his militaristic cult of personality.
And this is the morally just society that will rise above animalistic tribalism to guarantee “equal rights” for Artsakh!?!? This is insanity, even to a foreigner who has never stepped foot in Armenia.
If you think the West will save you, just look at human rights in Saudi Arabia or other important natural resource “partners”. Armenia is on the other side of the world from America. Armenia must choose to be part of either Russia or Iran, in totality and not as a “partner”, or to forever lay under the boot of the Turk. There is no other way.
100% agree and 80% of Armenian people agree, but the Western/Turkish sponsored government in Armenia and their 30,000 strong militia are deliberately steering away from that position.
You are right.
Nikol is in a tough spot. He has almost zero leverage over Azerbaijan and Turkey. Russia is not really backing him (nor Armenia in general). But this is a retreat–closer to a rout–because he has almost no way of guaranteeing that Azerbaijan will stop at Artsakh. And then what is he going to do? Hand over Syunik?
There is nothing to be gained by negotiating with a totally untrustworthy adversary. For proof of this look no further than the November 9, 2020 trilateral agreement which has been broken numerous times by Azerbaijan.
The logical response to Aliyev repeatedly breaking the trilateral agreement would be for Pashinyan to recognize Artsakh. Instead Pashinyan does the opposite. Armenia gets nothing by recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. There is no guarantee he will not attack Armenia next. And to think there would be any security for Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan is delusional.
Although Russia has been an unreliable ally, at least they are keeping the genocidal Turks and Azeris from totally overrunning the homeland.
The idea of buying weapons from India makes sense. It is also time for a paradigm shift and realize your adversary will never play by the rules. So you have to get in the gutter. I leave that to the reader to infer what that means.
The Azeris will never stop, even if Artsakh is delivered into the bloody hands of Aliyev. Bit by bit, they will take pieces of Armenia proper; giving Artsakh will only whet their appetite. after all, they are Turks, and Turks are history’s takers.
Pashinyan must go.Armenia needa Russia .
@ Val Ohanian, Russia kinda busy in Ukraine and in a fix in case you didn’t realise. Believe in what you want but Armenia lost not because of Pashinyan but because Azerbaijan had decisively eclipsed Armenia militarily BEFORE Pashinyan took office. What was true in 1994 not anymore
@Charles,
Once again, Armenia did not lose any war to Azerbaijan. Since their humiliating defeat in 1994, the last time they tried anything substantial was the so-called 4-day April 2016 war which lasted less than a week. Why did they quit in a matter of days if they had been preparing for military action for nearly a quarter a century? Because they had the resources and weapons but not the competence and expertise to do anything and that is where terrorist Turkey comes in. They used the same kinds of weapons, more or less, and failed miserably. What can possibly change in a few years’ time for Azerbaijan militarily? Very little if any! But what actually happened was that there was no war but an invasion and that was preplanned, provoked, initiated, conducted and dictated by terrorist Turkey using both Turkish NATO and Azerbaijani weapons arsenal and troops. In this joint Turkish-Azerbaijani invasion also participated Northern Syrian ISIS terrorist paid-mercenaries, their criminal Turkmen kin mostly, imported into the conflict zone by Turkish terrorist-in-chief Er-dog-an and paid for by Azerbaijani petrodollars, as well as the use of weapons from the dictatorship of Belarus and hypocritical and morally-bankrupt state of Israel.
Please do not try to cheapen what happened by leaving out all that I mentioned. Azerbaijan on its own is and will always be incapable of doing anything major to us and those thirty years of loud barks by Alyev with no result was a proof of that fact. When you give credit to Azerbaijani cesspool for what took place in 2020 you are disrespecting the brave men and women of the Armenian and Artsakh armed forces. The failure came from the dysfunctional and traitorous Armenian government and all the direct and indirect assistance Azerbaijan received from those half dozen or so criminal states and entities. Without terrorist Turkey, Azerbaijan is a sitting duck for the Armenians waiting to be plucked piece by piece despite all the disparities between the two.
I am not an Armenian. However, I have been paying attention to the Armenian situation for decades. In 2000, I was one time recommending an Armenian friend that Armenia should build a small but effective air force. Unfortunately, that advice fell in deaf ears.
Today, I have just three simple advices for all the Armenians:
1. Don’t give away anything to your enemy with expectation to get peace in return.
2. Elect some leaders who are willing to resist your enemy.
3. Try to get weapons from any possible sources, including Russia, India, Brazil, Iran, North Korea, Japan, France, Greece, Serbia, and even Taiwan,—it’s possible if Armenia is willing to recognize Taiwan as an independent country in exchange.
Taiwan, eh. Why, is Taiwan ROC going to recognize Artsakh as an independent state?
Yes War and nationalism is the answer!
We in the diaspora love to tell our fellow countrymen who have remained back what to do. And we want them to fight and sacrifice. While myself and most of the diaspora here in California drive nice cars and live in nice houses. Its not our kids who are going to be on the front lines I’ll tell out that for sure. Oh there will be alot of us who will hoot and holler about how they would have fought in 44 day war and are willing to die for Artaksh and Armenia but we don’t even have the courage to move back and build up our own county.
Funny how history repeats itself. When the German lost World War 1 this was the same “stab in the back” thinking that spread through their country. That their leadership sold them out. We think the same. Nevermind that in 30 years our corrupt leaders did nothing. Now that we lost we have people swearing that Pashinyan did this on purpose? That sounds like the mad ramblings of a person who can not accept reality. Pashinyan though an idiot did the best he could. And I think making peace for Armenia is the only option if Armenia wants to catch-up economically.
Armenia does not have the population to tax and buy weapons which are expensive to obtain and maintain. It does not have the manpower to confront Azerbaijan. If Armenia is to keeps its sovereignty it needs to play off it’s neighbors, much like Terminus in Asimov’s Foundation series.
If not we will see Armenia part of Russia. And then Armenia will be no more.
Armenia part of Russia? From your mouth to God’s ears, as Armenia alone in a place like the south Caucasus will be no more.
Pashinyan is truly delusional if he really believes that Azerbaijan is going to guarantee the rights and security of Armenians, let alone allow them to live there, once Azerbaijan gets its hands on the rest of Artsakh. The Azerbaijanis do not even pretend that they will do so. Pashinyan also conveniently seems to forget the massacres of Armenians by Azerbaijani mobs in Sumgait in 1988, in Baku in 1990 and in other places across that country. Expecting Azerbaijan to protect the Armenians of Artsakh is like expecting Nazi Germany to protect Jews.
This incompetent and delusional Pashinyan is today more of a threat to Armenia than is our enemy that filthy pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani Tatar Aliyev. After the 2020 invasion of Armenian territories jointly by NATO member terrorist Turkey and Soviet-invented criminal and artificial Azerbaijan, the enemy so-called leader Ilham Aliyev, the coward son of a former KGB agent who was MIA in the 1990s Armenian Liberation War waiting out the war in Russian and Turkish casinos, has realized that he has found in dysfunctional and unpatriotic Pashinyan nothing but an empty coat he can exploit while he has terrorist Turkey’s Islamo-fascist terrorist-in-chief Erdogan on his side. Given the uncertain political atmosphere in the region and our so-called double-dealing ally Russia’s indifference towards Pashinyan’s leadership and being bogged down in Ukraine, he is in a hurry to milk that unpatriotic Armenian cow Pashinyan dry and to extort from him all he can and while he can. But what our sorry excuse for a leader Pashinyan does not realize is that he is dealing with a despicable racist Tatar wolf in sheep’s clothing Aliyev who has not changed. He is the same blood-thirsty coward as he always was and he is quietly waiting to get all he can before he starts making his new demands. His ultimate goal is the ethnic-cleansing of Artsakh from the indigenous Armenians.
Realistically, how can any sober leader of Armenia sit around the negotiating table with a criminal and advocate for an ‘Era of Peace’ of a fairy tale while that criminal with no basis whatsoever, other than his hate for the Armenians, not only claims as his what we have had and nurtured over millenniums but that he has destroyed, and continues to do so, anything and everything that bears witness to Armenian existence in territories today under his occupation? Aliyev is bluffing and Pashinyan has fallen for that. Without terrorist Turkish support the enemy does not have what it takes to withstand a well-organized Armenian offensive. But the real problem is that we don’t have that resolute and patriotic leader today who can call Aliyev’s bluff and send this Tatar running back to Baku like we did to his countrymen wrapped in body bags thirty years ago. Aliyev should have been neutralized long time ago and treasonous Pashinyan should never have been allowed to lead Armenia!
It’s sad an opportunity was squandered, due to maximilsim and obsinance although lack of international support meant it was doomed, be realistic about it all be realistic about Russia especially in regards to its own situation and from now on aswell. Don’t forget if they hadn’t contentiously and vexatiously assigned Arktash to Azerbaijan this tragedy wouldn’t have happened in the first place either! Reform the military strengthen the economy but never go on presuming on Russian support either anymore. Pashinyan isn’t signing away in the sense Armenia never incorporated Arktash in the first place. Time to face a new era and cast away post Soviet sentiments and attachments in national policy that have hampered the nation since independence.
It is sad to admit, that Armenia is suffering from a dearth of effective leadership, at this strategic time in its history. Pashinyan is out of his league as a leader or negotiator. He does not have the authority, prestige, or power to cede, change, or sacrifice the status of the ‘Free, Independent, Armenian territory of Artsakh.’ Now is the critical time for Armenians in Armenia and the Diaspora to unite in our defense and support of Artsakh. In one voice, our message must be loud and clear: Artsakh’s status is non negotiable! Peace is not achieved through weakness. It is achieved through strength. It is obvious and sad that if essential changes are not made in Armenia’s current ‘leadership’, Armenia is going to face the consequences of its own imprudent actions!
Well said, Hazel.
It is no accident that this all happened when this guy came to power.
He will not survive the selling of Armenia and Artsakh
This is the worst historically sealed agreement. Its always wrong to capitulate in face of a belligerent adversary. The fruit of such an agreement will be a much more hostile Azerbaijan and gradual ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh. My opinion is time is in favor of Armenia. Specifically, Azerbaijan has succeeded in building a modern military largely thanks to petrol revenues. By all assessments in 15-20 years Azerbaijan will run out of oil and such an incidence aside from major social repercussions, will stifle the Azeri military complex. Armenia has 2 winning tickets. First long term equilibrium will shift in the favor of Armenia, with the gradual fading of Azeri oil revenues over the upcoming decades, it wont succeed in maintaining and sustaining that brutal military force. Second one thing Armenia is clearly overlooking, is enormous potential of a military alliance with Iran. The Iranians are fed up with the Azeri encouragement of both separatism and pan-Turkish fascism that threatens country’s territorial integrity. I believe Iran is one and only ally Armenia should assume for neutralizing and countering the Azeri aggression. I believe in case of practically getting closer to Iran, Armenia can receive political, financial and even military support from Iran. Why do Armenian decision makers always look after Russia but over look Iran which very manifestly has a conflictuos relations with Azerbaijan and I am compelled that it is willing to offer Armenia with assistance under certain circumstances
The reason Armenia has always looked to Russia is because of historic and cultural ties.
Also don’t forget that there are many Armenians in the Russian elite circles.
Yes, and also because Armenia was resurrected by Russia in the early 1800s and has been propped up by Russia ever since. Armenia is located in a sea of Turkic predators and Muslims. Not only is the West far away, it is also not a friend to Armenia. Armenia can’t survive in a place like the south Caucasus without Russia. Most Armenians in Armenia understand this on an instinctual level, which is why most Armenians have favorable views of Russia. Armenia needs to be fully in Russia’s orbit. Diasporans and Nikol supporters need to stop complaining. Just embrace Rusaia and make the most of it.
Gurgen,
If Russia ‘resurrected’ Armenia which is a fallacy, that very same Russia (the Soviets) invented that artificial terrorist cesspool called Azerbaijan partly on occupied Armenian territory and whose name was stolen from the Persians. Needless to say, there is only one Azerbaijan and that is to the south of the Aras River inside Iran and no Azerbaijan ever existed to the north of Aras River in the South Caucasus until its invention in 1918. No matter how much you glorify Russia rest-assured their Azerbaijani invention has more value for them than Armenia can ever have. They will always protect their own creation and if you think Armenia can be safe as long she is in the Russian orbit you are only fooling yourself.
The last two Armenian presidents, Sargsyan and Kocharyan both from Artsakh, were the most pro-Russian presidents in the last three decades and we saw what the response of then Russian president Medvedev, on a visit to Yerevan, to Sargsyan was when he raised concern about Russia making weapons deliveries to Azerbaijan in billions of dollars when Medvedev said that was just a business transaction! How many countries can you name who arm the enemies of their own military allies changing the balance of power in their favor? And if, as you say, most Armenians understand the significance of Russia to Armenia and that most Armenians in Armenia are pro-Russian then how can this Russia punish a majority pro-Russian Armenian population over an incompetent and treasonous ‘pro-Western puppet’ Pashinyan? Why this collective punishment from your beloved Russia of a majority pro-Russian population? Why not secure and protect Armenia and devise ways to kick Pashinyan out of office instead? Isn’t it obvious that Russia only cares about Russian interests and they could care less how many Armenians or Turks die in protecting their interests? Did we not witness that already? The same happened a century ago when they armed the defeated Turks at the end of WWI which allowed them to attack Armenia taking more lands from Western Armenia, post 1915 Armenian Genocide, and they (the Soviets) moved in acted as ‘saviors’ and absorbed what we know today as contemporary Armenia?
P.S. It is funny how you put the Diaspora Armenians and Pashinyan supporters in the same boat when that is not the case at all. I don’t know maybe you are talking about those who left Armenia but the traditional Armenian Diaspora, mostly from the Middle East, is not pro-Pashinyan because everything Pashinyan has done so far is against their interests and aspirations.
Ararat,
Friendly advice: you seriously need to study history, politics and international relations. The world as you imagine it does not exist in reality. Naive, narrow minded, shortsighted, irrational, arrogant, delusional and emotions driven approach got the country to where it is today.
PS: Armenia was indeed resurrected by the Ruusian Empire and later turned into a highly advanced Soviet republic. Prior to the Russians comming down to the south Caucasus, Armenians in the present territory of Armenia were a small minority in a sea of Muslim Turks, Tatars, Kurds and Persians.
As I have been saying for years now, the only way out for Armenia is to follow the Swiss model, by becoming a neutral state, with a strong defensive strategy and a very strong banking system, with strict banking secrecy.
Once this has been achieved Armenia can become a stabilizing force in the region. Nobody attacks the Swiss because everybody has their financial interests there.
Some food for thought.
Beno, easier said than done. You need a condusive political environment to develop such a plan. Reminder, Armenia is located in the middle of a Turkic/Islmaic region of the world that is being hotly contested by Russia and the West. In other words, Armenia is not located in central Europe and Armenia’s neighbors are not Italians, Germans or French…