The policy of Armenia’s current leadership is an attempt to sit on two chairs: Bogdan Bezpalko

Bogdan Bezpalko, a political analyst, commented to Alpha News on the prospects for Armenian-Russian relations and stressed that their future raises a degree of skepticism.

“The leadership of Armenia wants to sit on two chairs. Economically, it seeks to preserve all the benefits and preferences that the EAEU provides: energy resources at low prices, the Russian market, the Russian labor market, trade with other EAEU countries without visas, tariffs, or other barriers. On the other hand, politically and militarily, Armenia’s leadership is oriented toward the West. Where such a policy leads will depend largely on the Russian leadership. Because if the response is sufficiently firm, then on one hand Russia will acknowledge the loss of one of the integration union’s members, and on the other, it will show everyone what leaving the Eurasian Economic Community can lead to,” Bezpalko stressed.

According to the expert, Armenia is trying to retain EAEU benefits while orienting itself toward the West.

“For example, Armenia is an agricultural country. It supplies fruits and vegetables to Russia, approximately 95–96% of its total volume. Who would be able to replace that market? France, Germany, or some other country? I have very serious doubts about that. The same applies to other goods, as well as to people who find work on the territory of the Russian Federation. All in all, I am very skeptical about the development of relations between Russia and Armenia. Another matter is that I don’t quite understand exactly how they will develop: sharply, in leaps, or gradually deteriorating to the level of relations that currently exist between Russia and Ukraine. But the final destination, in my view, will be precisely that,” Bezpalko said.