Appeasement and amnesia: The constitutional compromise that risks Armenia’s future
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suggested removing references to the 1990 Declaration of Independence from Armenia’s Constitution—a move that could have lasting consequences for the country’s sovereignty. This proposal, rooted in his collaborationist spirit and belief that the current constitutional language impedes peace with Azerbaijan, is not only shortsighted—it is historically negligent and geopolitically dangerous.
Armenia’s Declaration of Independence is more than a ceremonial document. It enshrines the aspiration of unification with Artsakh and serves as a cornerstone of modern Armenian statehood. To remove this reference is to delegitimize decades of struggle and sacrifice. It is not merely a legal revision—it is an ideological retreat from Armenian values and history.
The prime minister argues that the Declaration, in its current form, undermines Armenia’s independence and provokes regional hostility. He told reporters that the Republic of Armenia cannot fully become an independent state based on the text of the declaration. Yet, what truly hinders Armenia’s independence is not its founding principles, but the steady erosion of its political posture under pressure from Baku.
President Ilham Aliyev has made no secret of his maximalist demands. First came the expulsion of Armenians from Artsakh. Then, there was a demand to cede the Syunik “Zangezur” corridor. Now, Armenia must amend its Constitution to satisfy Azerbaijan’s interpretation of regional peace. Each concession has only emboldened Aliyev to demand more. This is textbook bullying. Appeasement, history tells us, never satisfies a bully—it only encourages more aggression, as demonstrated by the Chamberlain-Hitler Munich Agreement, the Anschluss and the invasion of Abyssinia.
If Armenia alters its Constitution in pursuit of a peace that Azerbaijan has neither honored in the past nor shown signs of honoring now, it will only bring paralysis. It signals that Armenia’s leadership is willing to compromise on the very foundations of national dignity for the illusion of peace.
Appeasement has already yielded tragic results. From the abandonment of the people of Artsakh to the revocation of international arrest warrants for war criminals such as Kamil Zeynali, every retreat has been met not with goodwill, but with further encroachment and dehumanization. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s recent remarks—that Armenia cannot advocate for the people of Artsakh because there are no longer Armenians living in Artsakh—illustrate just how far the government has drifted from its obligations.
Pashinyan’s position also ignores geopolitical realities. No constitutional clause will satisfy Aliyev’s ambitions. His endgame is not peace, but dominance. The “moving goalpost” strategy has become Azerbaijan’s diplomatic playbook: extract concessions, escalate demands, repeat. The moment Armenia removes its declaration of unity with Artsakh, Aliyev will likely demand language denouncing Armenian diaspora support or legitimizing the 2020 borders as permanent.
This pivot comes not from strength but from weakness. Rather than rally international support, bolster defensive capabilities and invest in strategic alliances, Pashinyan’s government has chosen rhetorical disarmament. And while Hungary blocks European Union military aid for Armenia at Azerbaijan’s behest, the Armenian government offers constitutional amendments to appease a state that still glorifies ethnic cleansing.
The public must ask: What are we preserving if we forsake our founding values? A peace process that denies historical truth and moral clarity is not peace but submission. And submission has never ensured survival—only slow erasure.
The Armenian people—inside and outside the country—must recognize the cost of constitutional appeasement. The Declaration of Independence represents not just the past, but the vision of a free and self-determined Armenia.
Prime Minister Pashinyan’s proposal is not a step toward peace but a retreat from responsibility. Armenia must not let fear or fatigue dictate the fate of its Constitution. In the face of revisionism and repression, let us choose resilience.
Ara Nazarian, PhD
