Russian Deputy FM: West views Armenia as tool of hybrid war against Russia

The West views Armenia as one of the tools of a hybrid war against Russia and other countries of the South Caucasus, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin told Komsomolskaya Pravda when asked if Russia will simply observe how official Yerevan is increasingly destabilizing Russian-Armenian relations.

According to him, the situation in the post-Soviet area is becoming more explosive from year to year, with Washington muddying the waters—skillfully and according to a long-established scheme.

“Russia does not have the ‘habit’ of interfering in the internal affairs of other states. We know from our own experience how adversely this can affect the development of a country. We sincerely value our relations with Armenia and try to build them in a mutually respectful and beneficial way,” he said.

The West, according to Galuzin, on the contrary, considers the republic one of the tools of a hybrid war against Russia and other countries of the South Caucasus.

“The goal is clear: to use Armenia to form another hotbed of tension in the region. In western capitals, they are ready to calmly ‘put on the line’ the social and economic situation of the republic and its security. Officials of the United States, the EU, and NATO are calling on Yerevan to sever all ties with Moscow and seek to withdraw from our common integration unions.

We see that Armenia is actively attracted by the European perspective. It is easy to guess that the country will be inclined to abandon the mechanisms that have provided its economy with record growth over the past years. The severance of economic ties with Russia will mean the loss of the main market for Armenian business,” he said.

Galuzin stressed that in 2023, the trade turnover between the two countries reached 700 billion rubles, its historical maximum.

“Yerevan will eventually be required to leave the EAEU, where the republic is one of the main beneficiaries. Almost 40% of its foreign trade turnover last year was accounted for by the countries of the association. Armenia will lose the opportunity to participate in the emerging single market of energy resources of the union,” he said.