Aliyev has an idée fixe that there should be no Armenians in the world — Gleb Kuznetsov

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian political scientist Gleb Kuznetsov commented on the possibility of Armenia’s accession to the European Union, the chances of signing a peace deal with Azerbaijan, and the Turkish Security Council’s statement about the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement.

Armenia’s accession to the EU is out of the question, he said.

“First of all, until Armenia has a comprehensive peace agreement with Azerbaijan, until relations with Turkey are normalized, accession to the EU is out of the question. Secondly, economically, Armenia is absolutely not interesting for the EU. Thirdly, Armenia has nothing to offer to the European community. I believe Pashinyan understands this perfectly well, but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t try to get the most out of all directions,” Kuznetsov said.

According to the political scientist, the best way for Pashinyan to send a signal to the West that he is their friend is to say something anti-Russian.

“The EU has always been interested in how strongly and intensively this or that subject of international politics opposes Russia. So the only thing the EU can give Armenia credit for is that Armenia has said it is far from the CSTO, and soon it may be even further away. Pashinyan sends signals to everyone all the time, and the best way to send a signal to the West that he is their friend is to say something anti-Russian,” Kuznetsov noted.

According to the political scientist, the peace agreement with Azerbaijan could have been finalized in two days, but Aliyev has an idée fixe that there should be no Armenians in the world.

“If the Azerbaijani side wanted to sign a peace deal, theoretically, it could have been done in a day, in two days. Aliyev has a idée fixe that there should be no Armenians in the world. He can be forced to sign a peace deal with Armenia only under the pressure of his senior partners, which can be Russia, Turkey, the West, or anyone, but they must put very serious pressure on Aliyev. For the Armenian authorities today, the negotiation track itself is a way to explain to its own people, to its voters, that everything is actually moving in the right direction. Because this endless humiliation, to which the Armenian leadership has been subjected by Azerbaijan over the past years, needs some good explanation,” Kuznetsov said.

According to the expert, Turkey is portraying itself as a peacemaker.

“Ankara’s statement that it expects Yerevan and Baku to sign a peace agreement is part of a necessary political ritual because Turkish President Erdogan portrays himself as a peacemaker. He says that Turkey’s influence on all surrounding countries is extremely positive,” Kuznetsov concluded.