Pundit questions Armenia's dependence on Western protection

Pundit Hakob Badalyan has raised critical questions regarding Armenia's reliance on Western powers for protection.

In a recent post on his Facebook page, Badalyan scrutinized the Armenian government's shift towards closer ties with the West, particularly in light of perceived failures in protection from Russia, as reported by Caliber.Az.

Badalyan challenged the logic behind Armenia's pivot, stating, "if we explain the current policy by saying that we thought Russia would protect us but failed to do so, then why do we now think that the West will protect us?" He questioned the sincerity of Armenia's newfound cooperation with the West, suggesting that it might lack substantial content beyond the desire for confrontation with Russia.

“When we ‘explain’ or ‘justify’ cooperation with the West by saying that Russia has failed in its duty, then if it had done so, wouldn’t we be working closely with the West? What would we do if Russia fulfilled its duty? Would we be its ‘ally’ on the Ukraine issue?” the pundit wonders.

Highlighting the absence of substantive dialogue between Armenia and Russia, Badalyan emphasized the need for bilateral negotiations to address issues in their relations. He lamented Armenia's apparent lack of agency in regional dynamics, suggesting that it is forced to play the role of a "non-subject" dictated by the interests of larger powers.

“Unfortunately, both Azerbaijan and Georgia understood this logic better much earlier than us. Georgia learned about this after the strike. However, even after the strike, it seems that we do not want to understand this,” writes the pundit.

Badalyan's remarks underscore the complexity of Armenia's geopolitical positioning and the challenges it faces in navigating relationships with both Russia and the West.