Pashinyan’s statements on the CSTO amount to political blackmail: Alexander Asafov

Alexander Asafov, political scientist and director of the New Technologies Laboratory at EISR, commented to Alpha News on a statement by Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, that the Republic will not return to work within the CSTO for the next five years, and that a possible expulsion of the country from the organization would free Yerevan from having to make the decision itself.

“Pashinyan is making this statement, and indeed his regime as a whole is taking actions aimed at demonstrating a break with the past, an aspiration toward the European Union, and a rejection of cooperation with Russia as its longstanding partner. At the same time, he’s saying: I won’t withdraw from the CSTO myself, because that carries certain costs. If you don’t need me, kick me out yourselves. This is, of course, a position of blackmail, and it has a fairly obvious subtext. He’s saying: I won’t leave on my own, force me out,” Asafov said.

The political scientist believes that in this way Pashinyan is trying to shed responsibility for the possible consequences of a break with the CSTO.

“In the case of clear violations of the organization’s charter or other regulatory acts, such a scenario is theoretically possible. But Pashinyan is trying to shift responsibility for this decision onto others. It’s obvious that this is a blow to the country’s security, and he wants to be able to say afterward: we didn’t leave, we were kicked out. That is, to put it mildly, not the case. He will still have to take responsibility for this thorny path of so-called European integration,” the expert noted.

According to Asafov, the current policy of Armenia’s leadership is tied not only to security issues but also to attempts to weaken Armenia’s traditional ties with Russia.

“We’re seeing blackmail over the railway, and over a whole range of other issues as well. Pashinyan isn’t willing to make decisions on his own, but he demands that Russia make them. That’s not how it works, because any agreement requires the participation of both sides. He understands this perfectly well, which is why statements like this are addressed not only to Moscow, but also to Brussels, London, and other Western capitals. This is his political course, his choice, one that is pulling Armenia further and further away from Russia, from its alliances, and from the security mechanisms that have existed for many years,” Asafov concluded.