Journalist: Armenian authorities follow Western orders

Hayk Khalatyan, head of the Analytical Centre for Strategic Studies and Initiatives, spoke in an interview with Armenian media about the inability of the Armenian leadership to make independent decisions.

"Some states in the world are not guided by their own interest, but by the instructions of others. In this regard, it is worth noting that the collective West is well aware of what is in store for Armenia if it continues to pursue its anti-Russian policy. But they've taken out an insurance policy and tomorrow, when something bad happens, they'll say 'we warned you, don't rush and don't leave the CSTO'," Khalatyan said, according to Caliber.Az.

"You know, we should not expect any other country to be more pro-Armenian than the government and the people of Armenia. If you accuse the Russian side, it is strange to expect that the Russian side should be more pro-Armenian and not you, no matter how fair the criticism may be," the expert noted.

"As for leaving the CSTO, the strategic decision to leave the CSTO has been made. Pashinyan is well aware that Armenian society will say: why should Russian border guards be at Zvartnots airport? Then the struggle against the 102nd Russian military base will begin and the question of the withdrawal of the Russian border guards from the Armenian-Turkish border will arise. Another question: how do the Armenian authorities intend to achieve this? The Armenian government has entered into such a dangerous game that no one can imagine how, even if it takes a decision to withdraw, for example, the 102nd Russian military base, it will be able to implement it.

It should also be borne in mind that Armenia's main market is Russia. And the fact that Armenia will be able to replace it with another market is a myth. For 5 years after the Russian-Georgian war the Georgians couldn't sell their products in Russia, so why couldn't they sell the same wine and other products in Europe? That is why the current Armenian authorities are afraid that Russia might take decisive steps and create socio-economic problems that could lead to internal political discontent in the country," Khalatyan said.