YEREVAN — With national elections fast approaching, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration is accelerating controversial reforms that many analysts and opposition figures warn are dangerously undermining Armenia’s security and national identity amid ongoing regional instability.
Most notably, the government has announced plans to reduce the mandatory military service period from two years to just 1.5 years. This change comes alongside a proposed cut to the 2026 defense budget, a decision sharply at odds with defense spending trends in the region. Azerbaijan, in contrast, plans to increase its military budget by 3% in 2026, allocating approximately 8.815 billion manats ($5.12 billion) — roughly 21% of its total state expenditures — to defense and security.
Pashinyan has defended the defense cuts by citing the “disproportionately large” increase in 2025, which included accelerated repayments of future military obligations. Yet, critics argue that this fiscal justification ignores realities on the ground, where Azerbaijan’s military buildup and aggressive posture present a clear and growing threat to Armenia’s sovereignty and security.
Adding to public unease, the Armenian government has introduced provocative changes to national iconography, including the removal of Mount Ararat from passport entry stamps. Many view the move, announced shortly after Turkish Special Representative Serdar Kılıç’s visit to Yerevan, as another concession to Turkish and Azerbaijani pressure. Cultural leaders, historians and large segments of Armenian society denounced the decision as an attack on an enduring emblem of Armenian identity.
Political analyst and director of the Genesis Armenia think tank, Dr. Abraham Gasparyan, warned that the reforms amount to a deliberate dismantling of Armenia’s military capacity and strategic independence. Gasparyan stressed that the reduction of compulsory service and the hasty push toward a professional army model are ill-timed and fraught with risk, especially given Armenia’s unresolved territorial disputes and persistent security challenges.
“We are facing a direct and immediate territorial threat,” Gasparyan explained. “Implementing a rapid transition to a professional army without adequate preparation and resources could lead to catastrophic losses. Under any other leadership — with a clear national vision and adequate planning — I would support the development of a volunteer, technologically advanced and highly trained force. But today, such a transition is reckless and premature.”
Gasparyan noted that successful military reforms abroad have taken at least five to 10 years of steady planning and development. Any shortcuts or politically-motivated decisions, he said, risk weakening Armenia’s defense at a time when it can least afford it.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pashinyan continues to promote a paradigm shift in Armenia’s security strategy. Speaking at the “Comprehensive Security and Resilience – 2025” conference, he acknowledged that Armenia’s historical reliance on military alliances, particularly the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has failed to guarantee the country’s security. He pointed out that the CSTO recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, complicating Armenia’s defense posture.
Pashinyan asserted that the traditional concept of a “strong army” must be redefined, saying that Armenia’s military should have no operational tasks beyond internationally recognized borders. He went further, suggesting that the army should rank “15th, 20th, 50th or even 100th” in the hierarchy of national security tools, with diplomacy and legal legitimacy taking priority.
However, this approach has drawn fierce criticism. Opponents say it places too much faith in diplomacy and international legal frameworks while neglecting the country’s immediate defense needs. Azerbaijan’s repeated ceasefire violations and territorial incursions in recent years, they warn, demonstrate the ongoing volatility of the region and the risks of downsizing the military.
The timing of these reforms — particularly the reduction in conscription and defense cuts — has fueled suspicion that the government is prioritizing short-term political gains ahead of elections over long-term survival and security.
Many Armenians fear that Pashinyan’s policies amount to a gradual surrender of national sovereignty, weakening the army and eroding symbols of national identity to appease foreign powers. With Azerbaijan’s military buildup accelerating and regional tensions remaining high, this perceived retreat raises serious concerns about Armenia’s ability to defend itself against renewed aggression.
Turkologist Dr. Varuzhan Geghamyan offered a stark critique of the government’s current approach, warning that in the coming months, the public will be bombarded with endless speeches about a so-called “peaceful future” while critical realities are being deliberately hidden.
“Azerbaijan is arming itself with unimaginable volumes of weaponry,” he stated. “Open-source data clearly shows Baku is preparing not for peace, but for new military offensives.”
Dr. Geghamyan pointed to Azerbaijani forces entrenching themselves inside Armenian sovereign territory, particularly in Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces. “Far from pulling back, Azerbaijan is building new engineering structures, turning these areas into ideal launchpads for future attacks against Armenia,” he continued.
On the issue of the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” Dr. Geghamyan revealed that Turkey and Azerbaijan are not merely discussing the project but actively building it. “The majority of construction work is expected to be completed within the next three to four years,” he explained.
Parallel to this, there is an intensive propaganda and diplomatic campaign aimed at undermining Syunik’s Armenian identity, thereby legitimizing Turkish territorial claims. “Unfortunately, some progress has already been made in this dangerous direction,” he added.
Dr. Geghamyan also condemned Azerbaijan’s official anti-Armenian rhetoric, which he described as “state-sponsored hatred.”
“From incitement of hate speech to the continuous promotion of ‘Western Azerbaijan’ — which means Armenian territory — Azerbaijan is preparing not for peace but for war,” he said.
Regarding Turkey, he remained unequivocal: “Turkey has no intention of opening any borders or taking steps to strengthen Armenia’s sovereignty. The promise of ‘open borders’ is nothing but bait, used to lull our society and extract concessions.”
Dr. Geghamyan warned that these realities are being intentionally omitted from government discourse and state media. “Those who speak out about these truths are silenced and labeled as warmongers or provocateurs.”
He concluded with a powerful call to action: “Armenia’s leadership is practicing a dangerous policy of appeasement that endangers our very existence. We — the people who envision a free and prosperous Armenia — must speak openly, raise awareness and politically resist this destructive path. Solutions exist, and new strategies can be found to counter Turkish hostility, but only if we prioritize national legitimacy and security above all else.”
The traitor is stripping Armenia naked.
Look at Nepal! – They had a national revolution because the government tried to ban social media.
And yet Armenians do nothing.
It’s as if Armenians want to be dhimmis.
I would not go as far as saying the Armenians are not doing anything because this unpatriotic incompetent charlatan, a fake “populist” turned dictator, has created a situation in the country that they can’t do much peacefully. Anyone who speaks up becomes a target and is picked up by the Armenian Security Services the next day, much like what Erdogan used to do to his opposition, and charged with some manufactured bogus criminal act. He recently said if people don’t like what he is doing they can pour into the streets and start a revolution and that they don’t which shows, according to him, they are in agreement with him leaving out the fact that he has over twenty thousand internal police force cracking down on protesters and protecting him and his dysfunctional government. He should send those twenty thousand internal police force to the border regions and then dare make similar statement and he will be gone the next day. He is at a point of no return right now because he has crossed so many red lines and is in a self-preservation mode. His traitorous reign is nearing its end despite all his dog and pony shows in Washington and his iron-fisted treatment of all Armenian patriots at home.
Pashinyan is an open agent of Turkey. Period. All coerced “agreements” must be nullified through a regime change. There was a reason why Armenia kept its sovereignty for 30 years prior to Pashinyan’s arrival. Playing chess never made anyone smarter, just lazy. There are alternatives. Pashinyan is a traitor to Armenians.
I remember reading how they broke into his office and stole his perfume and licence during the last war. You guys stormed the parliament, I wouldn’t call that nothing. He managed to stay in power though and get re elected. Some commentators here like him too. Russian backers seem to dislike him, the overall population approves. Turks only have an issue with Russian backed leaders because no one wants Russia in the region. Before you know it, Russians are being oppressed, Nazis, etc and Russia invades unless you do as they say like Belarus.
As a matter of fact it is the barbaric Turk invaders is what one should say no one wants in the Caucasus and the surrounding regions. Every educated people in the world, except the Turk, knows very well that Turk originated from Mongolia and its surrounding areas, and passed Syr Darya about one thousands years ago and massacred everyone in their ways and settled in Caucasus and Anatolia. Turks are not the indigenous people of Caucasus and Anatolia and have no right to say or make a decision about the presence of other nations in the Caucasus. Turk, in spite of living among civilized people in Caucasus and Anatolia for nearly one thousand years, still keep their barbaric nature intact, see what they have done to Artsakh people just 3 years ago!
I know “Anatolia” and “Eastern Anatolia” are terms used to refer falsely to certain parts of modern Turkey these days but I think we Armenians must stop using these terms, “Eastern Anatolia” in particular, because their use is a cover and it distorts and obscures the existence of the indigenous people of these regions. The term “Anatolia” is not even Turkish. It has Greek roots and it means territory “east of Greece” which means today’s Western Turkey. The reason these fabricated terms, particularly “Eastern Anatolia”, are used to refer to these regions,instead of using their TRUE names, is to remove from the map any mention of Western Armenia and to erase from memory the indigenous populations of the land, Armenians in particular, who were ethnically cleansed from this region by way of premeditated genocide as part of the “homogenization” of these lands. The homogenization meant the Turkification and the Islamization of these ancient Christian lands after the Ottoman loss of all occupied territories. That is to say, to keep “Turkey” for the Turks only!
Well, let’s see how this plays out.
Nepal puts Armenia to shame.
The government tried to ban social media, the people overthrew the government!
This did not happen without cost, of course. Heads were broken, blood was spilt, lives were lost.
But the result was a new Nepal with a different voice, attitude and destiny.
National revival!
And Armenia?
Defeat after defeat, loss after loss and nothing.
I think the key to the Armenian psyche is that for 800 years, from the 11th to the 19th century, there was no Armenia.
Armenia was ruled by the Muslims – either the Turks or the Persians or sometimes both.
It didn’t really make any difference as both the Turks and the Persians treated the Armenians the same – as dhimmis.
800 hundreds of dhimmitude severely impacted Armenian culture and psyche.
A development of what can only be called a “slave culture”. The Turks and the Persians treated the Armenians as second rate and the Armenians started to act and behave as if they were indeed second rate.
The Armenians cavilled and cadged just to exist.
This produced feelings of fatalism and passivity – Muslim overlordship was a punishment from God that had to be endured.
Pashinyan is a product of that slave mentality, he will do anything to please the Turks.
And the lack of reaction of the Armenian people is a result of that fatalism.
If nothing changes, it will lead to another 800 years of dhimmitude.
But!
There is another side to tje Armenian psyche – that of resistance and defiance as exemplified by one of the greatest men who have ever lived – Soghomon Tehlirian!
It is that rich vein of action that has to be encoraged and grow if there is to be a national revival for Armenia!
Wiseman said: “If an army does not have the kind of weapons that her enemy has them, or has them but not able to use them properly, is foolish or traitor” Armenia has to have every weapons which her enemy possesses, defensive one and as well as offensive, there is no other option.
Above all, Armenia can progress without having relation with Turkey or Baku. Currently Armenia has road and sea access to western countries through Georgia and as well as to Asian states through Iran, she is not isolated far from it!
Pashinyan knows that he has no chance of winning an election fairly and squarely anymore, and his only option to stay in power, is to go into dictator mode, which he is certainly attempting to do by trying to crush and silence the democratic and patriotic opposition by any means.
Since he wants to stay in power at all costs, he will do so and is already doing so by going after all his opponents, will (have to) rig the elections for the abovementioned reasons, and will persecute the opposition even more.
It is the playbook and trajectory of every dictator and wannabe dictator.
Since free and fair elections, and a fair playing field for the opposition, let alone winning them, are impossible in Armenia under these circumstances, the only way to get rid of a traitor and dictator like Pashinyan (and he undeniably has become one), is through force; either through a revolution or through a coup d’état.
The so-called “international community”, especially the self-righteous and preachy West, condemns the overthrow of an elected leader and government through a revolution or especially through a coup d’état, even if that leader has become authoritarian or even a full dictator.
But when this leader and government, usurps power, engages in treasonous activities, appeases the nation’s archenemies, which threatens the territorial integrity and even the existence of the nation-state, and worse, is meekly accepted by the majority, who will not overthrow such a leader and government in a revolution, then a coup d’état is the last option left to save the nation before the demise.
Who cares what the reactions of the so-called “international community” and the “holier-than-thou” West are, when Armenia is at stake.
Armenians, both native and diasporan, are Mammon worshipers of the worst kind. The only thing that an Armenian really cares about is his or her “standard of living” (i.e. easy money, comfortable job, German cars, American cigarettes, Indian soap operas, etc). If an Armenian is presented with the opportunity of a “good life” under Turkish/Islamic rule, he will betray Mother Armenia in a heartbeat. We have been seeing this tragedy play out since 2018. Nothing will change for the better until Russia defeats the collective West in Ukraine and turns its attention back to the south Caucasus. That is only a matter of time. The only question that worries me, however, is how much will Armenians have damaged Armenia until then…
Regarding military cutbacks although there has been modernisation, economic issues might play a reason for such a decision to reduce spending. Although clearly if Azerbaijan is further militarising then the risk of further conflicts is higher. Indeed Azerbaijan had been accusing Armenia of militarising and was demanding Armenia cease purchases of weapons namely from France and India wanting Armenia to be helpless.
Regarding the suggestion that once Russia defeats Ukraine, such is yet to occur it’s oil production is being crippled and has significant issues with infiltration such as the bomb against the military in Vladivostok on the Pacific coast, although Russia is generally advancing on the
front line and Ukraine material losses remain steady. However what kind of victory? A favourable ceasefire like Armenia had in 1994 ? A clear victory like over Iraq in 1991? Or a absolute victory like over Germany in 1945?
Besides Russia will be having the day after effects and unless somehow bending the west to its will it’s conquests won’t be recognised and sanctions remaining. Moreover despite falling out with Azerbaijan who seems to have filled Russia like Turkey did 100 years ago after initially seeming to woo it with its betrayal of ally Armenia. Russia has always considered Arktash as part of Azerbaijan ever since the Bolsheviks affirmed that the area would be part of Azerbaijan. Also shortly after Azerbaijan gained control of Artaskh the shushi declaration between Azerbaijan and Turkey which obviously had an anti Armenia aspect also had an anti Russia aspect which might not have been apparent at the time . Also Putins Russia doesn’t attack Muslim countries it seems, has attacked its Christian neighbours Georgia and Ukraine but not Muslim Azerbaijan or Kazakhstan and has colluded in the establishment of a Sharia state in Chechnya. Russia mindful of confrontation with Ukraine and showing what a hypocrite it is betrayed Armenia needing to impress Azerbaijan judging good relationships with them a priority in the exergencies created by its confrontation with Ukraine.
Get a life “Charles”
For 3-4, you talk bad about Russia, call Armenian Genocide a small massacre, and then say Armenian man need to be friend with Turk.
You worry about betrayal because you lose your wife to Tyrone after Tyrone take your wife to poundtown
Maybe you not lose your wife to Tyrone if you spent time with her instead of attacking Russia and spreading bad message to Armenia
Karma a bitch “Charles”
Leave Charles alone please. We all need to respect eachothers opinions. He makes very good points. Russians are no good to anyone.
Get a life “Charles”
For 3-4 years, you talk bad about Russia, call Armenian Genocide a small massacre, and then say Armenian man need to be friend with Turk.
You worry about betrayal because you lose your wife to Tyrone after Tyrone take your wife to poundtown
Maybe you not lose your wife to Tyrone if you spent time with her instead of attacking Russia and spreading bad message to Armenia
Karma a bitch “Charles”
Chinese friend Whatever case you may have is destroyed by your nonsense claims about my wife when I’m not actually married going off with a man called Tyrone . Indeed why the editors allow such bizarre digressions is curious.
Simply put as an ally there are expectations and Russia has come short although perhaps many Armenians had been unrealistic in the first place aswell also much of the infatuation was driven by animosities with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Indeed just because Turkey and Azerbaijan are bad doesn’t make Russia by default good it should be judged for what it is and ultimately a less infatuated relationship will lead to less disappointment and be a better one for it.
Charles, you single now because you on some Armenian blog for 4 years not worrying about your wife as Tyrone take her to poundtown.
Karma coming for you.
Chinese friend
I’ve never been married. Your mantras are insane and baffling as i have said before get a life.
I am glad I went to Armenia last year and visited the Syunik region stopping in Goris and the Tatev monastery. Under the current direction of the Pashinyan regime, in a few years, this beautiful region will not be part of Armenia and likely will be off limits to my grandchildren who carry my last name.
As an American I believe the people who live in Armenia need to determine their destiny. We can only be supportive of whatever the direction of the citizens of Armenia choose.
Any attack by the Turks will be defeated by the Russians in Gyumri.
Russia will defeat the West in Ukraine and restore its full power in the Caucasus.
Russia’s victories are our victories too.
Are you kidding? Armenians in Armenia are the ones to decide the fate of Armenia, but there is a right and wrong. Now they are headed in the wrong direction. We in the diaspora can only look on in despair, and we should not be blindly supportive of this current direction
The claim that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s reforms amount to a “deliberate dismantling” of Armenia’s military capacity is not only alarmist—it’s analytically flawed. It misrepresents a complex recalibration of national security as reckless appeasement, ignoring both the strategic rationale and the evolving geopolitical landscape in which Armenia must operate.
Let’s start with the reduction in conscription. Critics frame the shift from two years to 1.5 years of mandatory service as a weakening of Armenia’s defense posture. But this overlooks the broader reform package underway. Armenia is not abandoning its military—it is professionalizing it. The Ministry of Defense has already launched the “Defender of the Homeland” program, built a professional sergeant corps, and introduced certification systems and long-term service incentives for border units. These are not signs of retreat; they are signs of modernization.
Moreover, the defense budget cut in 2026 is not a standalone decision—it follows a record 115 billion dram surge in 2025, which included prepayment of long-term military obligations. This fiscal strategy reduces future debt burdens and allows for more flexible investment in defense procurement, including advanced systems from France and India. Armenia’s military spending in 2025 reached 6% of GDP—higher than many NATO countries. To suggest that the 2026 adjustment is a surrender is to ignore the arithmetic and the strategic sequencing.
On the CSTO, Pashinyan’s skepticism is not ideological—it’s empirical. The CSTO failed to respond meaningfully to Azerbaijani incursions into Armenian territory. Armenia has frozen its participation since 2024, and rightly so. The alliance recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity while remaining silent on violations of Armenia’s borders. In this context, pivoting toward diversified security partnerships with France, India, and the EU is not betrayal—it’s survival.
As for the removal of Mount Ararat from passport stamps, it is a symbolic shift—not a constitutional erasure. Ararat remains on Armenia’s coat of arms, currency, and cultural institutions. The change reflects a pragmatic diplomatic posture, not a forfeiture of identity. Emotional symbolism must not override strategic clarity, especially when Armenia is seeking to normalize relations with neighbors under intense geopolitical pressure.
Finally, the warnings about Azerbaijan’s military buildup are valid—but they do not invalidate Armenia’s reforms. Azerbaijan’s defense budget increase to $5.12 billion in 2026 is concerning, but Armenia’s response is not passive. It is investing in air defense, territorial defense forces, and digital battlefield integration. The shift toward a professional and modern army is part of a long-term transformation strategy through 2035—not a hasty gamble.
In sum, Armenia is not surrendering. It is evolving. The old security architecture—built on Russian guarantees and conscription-heavy forces—has failed. What Pashinyan’s government is doing is building a leaner, smarter, technologically advanced and more sovereign defense posture. Critics may call it appeasement, but history will likely call it adaptation.
If you realize and accept that pashoglu works for the turks and US interests, all his moves make perfect sense. He is a western plant. If Armenia is to survive this guy needs to be removed as soon as possible, (by force if necessary) then Armenias security and dignity need to be restored.
Quite right that if you ignore some inconvenient facts, Pashinyan’s behavior could be explained that way. Indeed, by ignoring the right facts, we can explain nearly anything in any way we desire.
But facts are facts because they cannot be ignored without cost. Let’s face some facts:
1) Armenia has a much smaller GDP than Azerbaijan and cannot afford to spend as much on its military without making sacrifices elsewhere. I would guess these same armchair diplomats would criticize Pashinyan for spending too much on the military at the cost of education, science/tech, economic development, infrastructure, etc…
2) There is much empirical and historical evidence that professional armies are cheaper and more efficient that conscripted ones. However, one would need to do some reading outside this forum and accept “facts” that may not fit their narrative in order to comprehend this evidence.
3) When it comes to defense architectures, there are a variety of approaches, of which arguably the most appropriate for Armenia is the porcupine defense: do not try to match your adversary in military strength, but instead create a disincentive to start a war by threatening enough damage to make it economically/politically costly. A strategy of military parity with Azerbaijan would result in bankruptcy for Armenia, thus handing over the country without a shot being fired.
4) One defense architecture that has NOT brought any benefit to Armenia is hanging all our hopes on one security guarantor, e.g. Russia/CSTO. Pulling out of the CSTO is risky, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks. I wonder how many readers in this forum realize that Armenia’s membership in the CSTO has severely limited its ability to purchase arms from other countries. The CSTO requires its members to share in any military tech they acquire, and few (if any) non-CSTO countries are willing to sell military tech to Armenia if it means that Russia will get their hands on it. I would add that the fantasies of an ascendant Russia riding into the Caucuses on a white horse to bring order and prosperity can best be described as delusional. In any case, Armenia must not put all its eggs in one basket.
Sadly, many commenters in this forum would rather not be bothered with facts or think more deeply about complex issues. In the place of strategic planning and real-political diplomacy, clumsy and gross stereotyping and straw-man attacks are the best they can come up with, along with (of course), Revolution!
Zaven
Indeed the CTSO has a tie in like most military alliances and thus Armenia couldn’t by much from NATO countries such as Greece and France who are sympathetic to Armenia. The tie in would be fine if Armenia retained it’s advantage but clearly in 2020 this was not the case. It should be borne in mind that Azerbaijan isn’t part of the CTSO nor NATO and in addition to it’s petrodollars was free to procure from NATO countries such as Turkey and Italy and from NATO aligned Israel and in 2020 the effects of this were clear. Also the fact that no CTSO members supported Armenia position shouldn’t be ignored either and that Azerbaijan had been purchasing weapons from fellow allies Russia and Belarus just for use on Armenia. Simply the previous paradigm no longer upheld Armenia interests.
You have looked at a map, haven’t you?
You do know where Armenia actually is, don’t you?
Nobody is coming. Not the British, not the French, not the Germans and certainly not the Americans.
The deluded ones are those who think that the Seventh Cavalry will ride to Armenia’s rescue.
Tell us all how Armenia will survive if it had to pay market prices for its energy supplies instead of getting them at a very heavily subsidised price from Russia?
Pro-Western Armenians always have the same delusion – Armenia is in the heart of Europe, right next to Austria!
Armenia is in the extreme South East of East with barbaric hordes of Turks on both its eastern and western borders.
Armenians know how to read a map.
Without Russia, Armenia will be left naked before the Turks.
Never, ever going to happen.
Pro-Westerners cannot wish Geography away.
A 10 year old Armenian child can look at a map and immediately realise that Armenia must always be allied with Russia.
You cannot defeat Geography.
A 10 year old could also look at the 2020 war and its aftermath and conclude that Russia will do what is in its best interest, which may or may not (and often does not) align with Armenia’s.
Outside of Russia’s own interests, there is absolutely nothing obliging Russia to come to Armenia’s aid or support its cause. Unilaterally declaring that we must always be allied with Russia is… well, juvenile and foolish. Russia has been historically proven to be a fickle ally (if we want to stretch the meaning of the term ally to its limit!) It does what any country is supposed to do: look out for its interests first. You cannot defeat history.
Furthermore, there is nothing obliging the West to come to Armenia’s aid, either, and I don’t claim it will. However, I do claim that it is possible and desirable for Armenia to have good relations with both Russia and the West, and Iran, too! In fact, a smart diplomatic position for Armenia, one that actually exercises its sovereignty (as opposed to perpetual sycophantism to one power or another) would include ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan. That doesn’t mean inviting them into bed, but it does mean treating them like colleagues in the international arena and regional neighbors – a reality that we cannot afford to ignore.
I don’t know if we’re up to the diplomatic challenge, but small states either grow up fast and find their footing in the international sphere, get gobbled up by a stronger power, or they continue to lick the boots of whatever superpower is ready to use them like a cheap whore.
Since Armenians are smart enough to read a map, I would hope that we can learn from history and practice smart diplomacy, too.
@Zaven Kalayjian
Armenia has no coastline.
It is landlocked and extremely hard to access.
3 million Armenians confronted by 80 million Turks in Turkey and 10 million Turks in Azerbaijan. That’s a factor of 30 to 1.
As for your dig at “revolution”, remember where you are, an ARF forum! Armenian Revolutionary Federation! It’s in the name!
The people of Nepal started a revolution over social media!
The people of Armenia will not be slow to act when the stakes are so much greater.
At the moment, people are clinging to the hope that Pashinyan can be peacefully removed at the June 2026 election but if he rigs it, everything will change very quickly.
I was talking to Armenian relatives.
They said the Armenian failure to react was not due to cowardice. I said I agreed. Armenians are, undoubtedly, brave.
They pointed out that Pashinyan has (active and in reserve) 280,000 men in the Armenian Army. In addition, Pashinyan has an extra judicial force of 20,000 men who can only be called thugs. These are the worst men from the dregs of Armenian society.
I said that in all three of the most recent national revolutions, (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal), the Army had stood aloof and had refused to support the regime. I believe the Armenian Army will do the same.
That leaves Pashinyan’s 20,000 thugs. However, thugs are undisciplined, they will break if they are forcefully confronted.
Elections are due in Armenia in June 2026. If Pahiinyan tries to delay, ban or rig the elections, there will be resistance.
I would love to see a successful popular uprising like in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, or a coup d’état, in Armenia, that would sweep Pashinyan and his allies from power, because in all certainty, he won’t leave power willingly, and he will try to cling to power at all cost.
Nations are ultimately tested in national crises, and Armenia has been in crisis, not since the Second Artsakh War, but actually when the archtraitor Pashinyan came to power.
The ultimate test for the Armenian nation, will be indeed during the parliamentary elections of June 2026.
The closer the elections approach, the tension will steadily rise, and so will the repression and “precautionary measures” by Pashinyan.
I am sure that Pashinyan will try every dirty trick in order to secure a “win” for himself in the parliamentary elections. There is no doubt that he will resort to further intimidation and suppression of the opposition, with bogus charges and prison sentences, in order to neutralize them, and he will resort to vote rigging, to secure his “win”. If he cannot, he will try to postpone or even cancel the elections, as you pointed out.
Even more fateful than the parliamentary elections, will be the planned referendum on the Armenian constitution in 2027, which involves the emasculation of Armenia, in order to appease the Turkic predators Turkey and Azerbaijan.
That’s when we will find out if the Armenian people will pass or fail this fateful test, with their reaction to the fate of their country and future.
Steve is right.
The elections are just 9 months away.
The period between now and then will get tenser and tenser.
We all have to be on alert for Pashinyan’s tricks.
Armenians have been passive because they react in horror to the thought of Armenians fighting Armenians.
Everybody is clinging to the hope that Pashinyan can be peacefully removed at the June 2026 elections.
If the elections are corrupted, however, I believe the entire country will explode in anger.
We are living in a pre-revolutionary moment.
Is Pashinyan colluding with Aliyev to keep Reuben Vardanyan in prison so that he will be unable to run against him in the 2026 election?
I have no doubt about that. Pashinyan’s most bitter critics also happen to be Ruben Vardanyan, Davit Babayan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, Davit Manukyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, among others, all of whom happen to be former Artsakh leaders, high ranking politicians and military officers, who were seized by Azerbaijan as hostages and are now rotting in Azerbaijani prisons. Pashinyan couldn’t be more happy that Aliyev is keeping his most dangerous political enemies in Baku prisons and he is certainly eagerly anticipating for them to die there one by one and thus remove any threat to his rule. Pashinyan is very likely planning to do the same to his political enemies in Armenia.
More than likely.
Ararat is synonymous with Armenia. It has been since time began. Although the mountain range and area around
the mountain range were confiscated by Turkey, it still represents Armenia. To discard the image from any official
Armenian document is absurd. If any government requests its removal, the request is not negotiable. I don’t
believe any Armenian, alive or deceased, would desire to give up this treasure that is ours!
It is disgusting that the Pashinyan government removed Mount Ararat from Armenian passport stamps, just to please Turkey and Azerbaijan, so that they don’t forbid Armenian passport holders from entering both countries – as if Turkey will make entry or even transit for Armenian cititzens any easier, and as if Azerbaijan allows people of Armenian descent, let alone Armenian citizens, to enter the country!
The removal of Mount Ararat as an Armenian national symbol, starting from passport stamps, is just a prelude for its complete removal in the planned referendum on the Armenian constitution in 2027, which entails the emasculation of Armenia, which Turkey and Azerbaijan demand, and to which Pashinyan is willing to comply.
I think Pashinyan flubbed here. From an outside vantage point, there are other ways Pashinyan could have played this:
He could have said was: “After you remove from your flag and national symbology the crescent moon and star, which clearly do not belong to you, we will take Ararat off our passports.”
He could have also said that Ararat was a historical symbol for Armenians that is too embedded to remove and has contains only spiritual symbolism, like the Islamic symbols.
The Armenian traitor-in-chief Pashinyan is not only doing these things because he is under pressure from our enemies but he is also doing these things because nothing is sacred and patriotism is an alien concept for him. In fact, based on his behavior and disastrous policies, patriotism is the main source of all our problems. Imagine that! With his back against the wall no matter which way he turns, i.e. to please our enemies at our expense to falsely portray himself as peace maker to get reelected to avoid criminal charges or resist all that and face the consequences of his criminal actions, he is doing these things to save his own skin. They say birds of a feather flock together. He called Donald Trump, an ignorant narcissist like him, peace maker and deserving of the Noble Peace Prize because he learned from him, with 34 criminal charges hanging over him, how to beat the system by becoming president for a second term to avoid public humiliation and to avoid facing the consequences of his criminal actions.
Regardless of what he does and says, Ararat is the epicenter of the Armenian homeland and it is the national symbol of the Armenian nation and it will forever remain so and no amount of blackmail can change that no matter which side of the Armenia-Turkey artificial border it is located . Turks can ask for its removal and can change and Turkify its name in Turkey but how are they going to change its name and remove it from the Bible where it is referenced many times as the homeland of the Armenians? It would make much more sense for Turkey to remove the half-moon and the star from its blood-soaked flag and replace it with the Turkish national symbol, a blood-thirsty mythical wolf, and for pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijan do the same by replacing their half-moon and star with the symbol of their criminal tribe with is the black and the white sheep representing their former sheep herding tribes and quite befitting of their character!
Mount Ararat is in the Armenian Constitution since its inception in 1995. Only the people of Armenia can change it by amending the Constitjuion. However, Mount Ararat is depicted in the constitution with a caveat; with Noah’s Ark sitting on it and not the mountain by itself. Section 21 of the constitution, in part, reads as follows – “The coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia shall depict, in the center on a shield, Mount Ararat with Noah’s ark and the coats of arms of the four kingdoms of historical Armenia…” Naturally, the wording in the constitution has come about to send the following message, that the depiction of Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark on it, stand for its ethnic symbolism. Our patriarch historian Movses Khorenatsi claims that the Armenians are descendants of Noah’s great grandson. Depicting Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat, symbolizes that proverbial lineage. Naturally depicting Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat attests also for it being a biblical symbol. We all know that the Armenians are the first to accept the Christian faith as its state religion. Depicting Mount Ararat by itself is not constitutional.
Depicting Noah’s Ark on Mount Ararat makes for a weird drawing. Case in point the depiction of Mount Ararat with Noah’s Ark on Armenia’s Coat-of- Arms. There is nothing remotely Mount Ararat like on the coat-of-arms. The infantile drawing of Mount Ararat on the Armenia entry stamp did not depict Noah’s Ark on it, for good reason. It would have made for a weird, crowded drawing.
Geography; Robert
It is clear that Armenia doesn’t neighbour European countries let alone America. However looking at a map shows that Armenia doesn’t adjoin Russia either. The same Russia preoccupied with Ukraine and potential wider confrontation in Europe. The same Russia who mindful of the growing prospect of an impending confrontation with Ukraine betrayed Armenia and ingratiated with Azerbaijan which it does border mindful of that country being more useful oneside in the event of isolation in the event of confrontation with Ukraine and seeking to woo Azerbaijan closer to Russia and to distance from its post independence closeness to Turkey and Azerbaijan and the previous support Russia had provided for Armenia being a point of contentions Azerbaijan had with Russia. The same Russia who failed to safeguard Armenians from it’s 2020 commitments, no Berlin airlift or Sarajevo siege relief from mother Russia for the hopeful Arktash Armenians. The Arktash cabinet who were pro Russia to the end now except for two who managed to escape to Armenia through the checkpoint are now in detention in Baku.
Thus it’s quite correct that NATO countries are unlikely to intervene to protect Armenia just as the notion that when Russia is finished with Ukraine it will swoop back into the region overthrow Pashinyan and Alyiev respectively, restore Armenia position in Arktash. These notions are akin to General Wencks relief army and Steiner’s counter attack for Berlin in 1945 and Syrian Assads speech to the nation announcement in December last year which was a cover for his abandoning the palace in Damascus and fleeing to Russia . The reality check of the last few years in regards to Russia doesn’t mean that there should be salvation hopes placed in NATO countries either .