Yerevan’s anti-Russian rhetoric risks losing Moscow's support Experts warn Armenia

The anti-Russian trend set by Pashinyan in Paris is gaining momentum in Armenia. And other members of the Prime Minister's team are joining this Russophobic sentiments.

Thus, Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, de jure the second person in the country, told journalists that Russian border guards should leave Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport. He also expressed doubt that Russian border guards would be able to protect Armenia.

Apparently, anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia will grow rapidly. Caliber.Az tried to find out what Yerevan's partners from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states think about this trend.

According to Oleg Leshenyuk, director of the Center for International Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of the Belarusian State University, Belarus itself is quite calm about the freezing of Armenia's membership in the CSTO; this move was quite expected, as Pashinyan did not come to the CSTO summit in Minsk last November.

"Discrediting statements were repeatedly made against the CSTO, Armenian observers accredited to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Belarus did not arrive in the country to observe the Single Voting Day, which took place on February 25, 2024. Already by these steps it was clear that Armenia would sooner or later make a decision on CSTO membership. The visit of the French Defense Minister to Yerevan and the signing of the agreement on military-technical cooperation with France should be added here," the political analyst noted.

And this, according to him, is happening precisely when peace has come to the region and the protracted conflict in Karabakh has been settled. But it should be taken into account that the Western world is not interested in stability, as well as the existence of large international organizations that do not take into account the voice of the West.

"Therefore, work is being done on a constant basis to discredit any organizations that are increasing their influence in the Eurasian region, be it the CSTO or the SCO, attempts are being made to contain Russia and China. The West is not interested in lowering its own importance in the world, which is actually happening, and is trying to consolidate control in Armenia by any means," Leshenyuk added.

According to his assessment, Armenia is becoming another tool to be used for these purposes.

"Of course, information and communication activities among the population are also working, Western ideas and ideology are being imposed. Armenians should pay attention to the Ukrainian bitter experience of striving for the West. In this regard, Belarusian leader Lukashenko gave quite wise advice to Armenians - not to hurry to make hasty decisions," Leshenyuk said.

Moreover, according to Russian political analyst Vladislav Gerdin, it is not by chance that Moscow is in no hurry to respond to the accusations of Armenian politicians.

“Now the Kremlin wants to understand how far Yerevan is ready to go in its anti-Russian rhetoric, what else Pashinyan and his retinue will allow themselves. Considering that Pashinyan coordinates most of his theses with the West, even sharper attacks may be heard. However, what Prime Minister Pashinyan and Speaker Alen Simonyan have already allowed themselves causes great indignation in Russia. So, I think, when the official reaction comes from Moscow, there will be hell to pay,” Gerdin noted.

In his opinion, it seems that Yerevan is simply underestimating the risks of launched rhetoric. And, of course, the support of France is a very impressive bonus, but it is completely unclear who will ensure Armenian security in the future. After all, no one except Russia is able to solve this problem.

"Armenia is getting itself entangled in a knot of unresolved contradictions. Right now in Yerevan, they have resumed washing 'Russian laundry,' but what will happen if, for example, attempts by Pashinyan to increase deliveries of Western weapons, as well as the presence of French and American intelligence services near the Iranian border, anger Tehran? Moscow could politely distance itself at that moment, leaving Armenian statehood with nothing but horns and hooves," concluded Gerdin.