The deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations was inevitable: Konstantin Zatulin

Konstantin Zatulin, chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Committee on CIS Affairs and director of the Institute of CIS Countries, commented to Alpha News on the future of relations between Moscow and Yerevan at a session of the “Lazarev Club,” noting a marked deterioration in bilateral relations and naming the reasons that, in his view, led to the current situation.

“Relations have deteriorated and, frankly, they could not have failed to deteriorate. One can only wonder why it didn’t happen sooner. The reason for this was not only the Armenian government’s consistent policy of withdrawing from the Eurasian space and severing ties with Russia, something the government has essentially been doing since it came to power, but also the obvious fact that back in March of last year, a law was passed by supporters of Nikol Pashinyan in the National Assembly to begin Armenia’s accession to the European Union. After that, the Pashinyan government has been living as if in another world, telling us there is no problem, that when the time comes they will dump the Eurasian Union, but in the meantime they are happy to keep receiving everything on favorable terms: trading duty-free, receiving gas and everything else at internal Eurasian prices, and so on. But I think it’s time to stop taking us for fools,” Zatulin said.

The deputy noted with regret that the measures taken by Russia against Armenia may affect the country’s residents.

“We deeply regret that these measures may indeed affect the population of Armenia, the citizens of Armenia living in Armenia. But apparently that is how it goes in relations between states, when today our official ally, the Republic of Armenia, is not simply fraternizing with our enemies, who are sending drones, killing civilians, and are fully involved in the war against Russia being waged in Ukraine at this very moment. Behind all these warm embraces, EU summits in Yerevan, and Yerevan even becoming a platform for Zelensky’s speeches and his threats to attack Red Square during the Parade, the Armenian government itself sees nothing wrong with any of this. I think any reasonable person understands that the talk of ‘you must always meet us halfway while we do as we please, betray you, and fraternize with your enemies’ — that had to end someday,” Zatulin concluded.