Pashinyan: We can no longer rely on Russia to protect us

In an interview with Politico, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan stated that the Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh had failed in their duties.

Pashinyan argued that Russia's capabilities had changed as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war and claimed that the Moscow government was hesitant to alienate Azerbaijan and its close ally, Turkey.

He said, "In this situation, our strategy should be to minimize our dependence on others. We want to be an independent and sovereign country, but we must find ways to avoid being at the center of conflicts between the West and the East, North and South. Armenia cannot become a 'proxy.' This cannot be allowed."

Pashinyan emphasized that it was unsustainable to continue relying on Russia as the "great protector" every time conflicts escalated, stating, "We can no longer rely on Russia to protect us."

Pashinyan also noted that he couldn't say that the situation would be better today if Russian peacekeeping forces weren't in Karabakh.

He concluded by saying, "If we want to have a permanent and eternal state, we must take very serious steps and make significant efforts to improve our relations with our neighbors."