Pashinyan: We’ll Wake Up One Day And See No Russia In The Caucasus

• 3.09.2023, 8:24

Russia is helpless in the region for two reasons.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, speaking about the Karabakh conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, accused Russia of inaction in the Caucasus. According to him, the Russian Federation is losing ties with this region because of this.

Pashinyan said this in an interview with the Italian news publisher of La Repubblica.

“We see that Russia itself is leaving the region due to the steps it takes or does not take. For what reasons, we do not know. We can comment, but I cannot confirm it,” he said.

The politician added that the current processes suggest that “the same scenario may be repeated, and one day we will simply wake up and see no Russia here.”

According to Pashinyan, the Russian peacekeeping forces are not fulfilling their mission - the peacekeepers do not control the Lachin corridor currently.

“There can be two reasons: either the Russian Federation cannot or does not want to maintain control over the Lachin corridor. Both, in our opinion, are problematic... I think that they partially don't want to and partially can't at the same time,” the Prime Minister said.

He acknowledged that Armenia's dependence on the Russian Federation in the field of security is a strategic mistake. Already after the fact, the country began to try to diversify its security policy faced with all the possible negative consequences of this dependence.

“Armenia's security was 99.999% connected with Russia, including in the acquisition of weapons and ammunition. But today, when Russia needs weapons and ammunition, it is clear that even if it wanted to, the Russian Federation would not be able to provide Armenia's security needs,” Pashinyan said.