Europe did not give Armenia what Yerevan was counting on: Oleg Blokhin

Oleg Blokhin, a political analyst, commented to Alpha News on the phone call between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the expert, the initiative for the call came from the Armenian prime minister, since he needs to fix the situation inside the country following steps that led to a deterioration in relations with Russia.

“Pashinyan called because he needs something. If he didn’t need anything, he wouldn’t need this call even in 300 years. I think he needs to fix the situation inside the country, because by making certain sharp moves and statements toward Russia, he was steadily damaging relations. It’s clear that, in following the European Union’s directives, he was counting in return on, perhaps he was even promised and guaranteed, some form of assistance. That doesn’t necessarily mean financial aid; it could have been access to European markets. But once the actions that damaged relations with Russia took place, and no particular response followed from Europe’s side, neither financially, nor in terms of building communications, nor in terms of opening European markets to Armenia, it’s clear that this did not have a good effect on the situation inside the country,” Blokhin noted.

According to the political analyst, the further development of relations between Moscow and Yerevan will depend on which course the Armenian prime minister chooses.

“Pashinyan, trying to fix the situation, made this call now. But I understand that Russia, too, will now put forward some counter-demands to him. And this is where the future of relations will depend on Pashinyan himself, because right now the prime minister is the one calling the shots. What will he choose: his friendship with Europe and continuing to follow its directives, or the development of his own country? If he chooses the development of his own country, relations will improve. If he continues to follow in the wake of the European Commission and the European Union and carries out directives that will bring nothing good for Armenia, then no improvement in relations should be expected. Again, there won’t be any hostility as such, there will simply be a cooling of relations between the states. I think that between the people, everything will remain as it was. Everyone understands perfectly well that whether there is a warming or a cooling of relations, in this case it depends specifically on the figure of the current prime minister,” Oleg Blokhin concluded.