Pashinyan’s rhetoric may change at his meeting with Putin: Dmitry Solonnikov

Dmitry Solonnikov, a political scientist and political strategist, analyzed Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe, assessed the protests in France and Italy, and commented on the upcoming meeting between Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, in an interview with Alpha News.

“I think there is light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s visible about as much as it was six months or a year ago. That is, of course the Ukrainian conflict will end, and the Russian Federation’s victory is approaching. But we probably can’t say yet that Witkoff’s visit has seriously changed the situation in this respect. Witkoff’s visit is more of a deal, more of a business negotiation. Even the composition of the Russian delegation at the meeting shows that it wasn’t about war or diplomacy; it was about the economy,” the expert believes.

According to Solonnikov, the protests in France have played into the hands of leaders on both the left and the right of the political spectrum.

“If we look at how the ratings in France changed after or during these protests, both Mélenchon and Le Pen have gone up. So we can’t say that the left is losing here. In my view, this is a situation that benefits both wings, the right and the left. Indeed, according to the same pollsters, two politicians are currently heading for the final round of the presidential race: Marine Le Pen on the far right and Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the far left. And this will be a very big challenge for France: who will people vote for?” the political scientist stressed.

Solonnikov told Alpha News that Armenia’s actual attitude toward Eurasian integration projects should be formalized legally.

“At long last, the de facto situation should be reflected in the de jure one. That is, if Armenia doesn’t pay its CSTO dues, pointedly doesn’t take part in CSTO events and says it doesn’t need the CSTO, then the organization should bring its legal norms and its legal framework into line with the actual state of affairs. Does Armenia want to be left alone with Turkey and Azerbaijan? Well, then it will be. That’s the choice of the Armenian people,” he noted.

Turning to the Pashinyan-Putin meeting, the expert suggested that Pashinyan would soften his rhetoric, but that this would not change his aspiration to integrate into European political and economic structures.

“Most likely, Pashinyan will come as usual to talk about everything, smile cheerfully and not make any final decisions. But his rhetoric may change. He may start speaking more flatteringly about Russia and more positively about the possibility of further cooperation. Again, he most likely won’t dot the i’s or abandon all his previous aspirations, but he will try to make the situation more favorable for himself, at least in the media space and in personal interactions,” the political strategist concluded.