Armenian speaker steers clear of "hybrid war" language before Russia visit

Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan has toned down his previously strong criticism of Russia ahead of an official visit to Moscow.

Simonyan asked a journalist to avoid using the term “hybrid war,” stating that “war” was not an appropriate description of the current situation, Caliber.Az reports via Hraparak.

Simonyan is scheduled to visit Moscow from February 4 to 7, with meetings planned with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko.

Last May, Simonyan accused Russia of waging a “hybrid war” against Armenia, citing attempts to destabilise the country and predicting intensification of such actions ahead of the 2026 elections.

On February 2, Lavrov, at a press conference, suggested that Yerevan might seek Western funding under the pretext of a “hybrid war” to conduct counter-propaganda against Russia. 

He stressed that Armenia’s diversification of foreign relations did not signify a move away from traditional allies, but described Western actions as a “cold calculation” aimed at turning the South Caucasus into a “pressure point” against Moscow.

By Aghakazim Guliyev