Anti-Russian psychosis in Yerevan: Ukraine is trying to quarrel between Armenia and Russia
Ukraine continues to increase the degree of tension in Armenian-Russian relations. On Saturday, April 9, a procession and rally took place in the center of the Armenian capital, which were clearly anti-Russian in nature.
Participants in the event condemned the Russian Federation’s special military operation in Ukraine and called on the ruling authorities to leave the EAEU, changing the republic’s foreign policy orientation towards the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance.
The organizer of the anti-Russian event, which can only be described as an exacerbation of spring psychosis, was the National Democratic Pole (NDP).
It is noteworthy that on July 17, 2016, it was representatives of the PDP who seized the territory of the police patrol regiment in the center of Yerevan. During an armed attack, they killed a policeman and wounded four people.
Then the radicals demanded the release of the coordinator of the Armenian opposition civil initiative “Constituent Parliament” Zhirayr Sefilyan, who was under arrest on charges of illegal acquisition and storage of weapons. Members of the armed group also demanded the resignation of the president and prime minister and the formation of a government of trust. On the evening of July 31 they surrendered.
What exactly is the reason for this behavior of Armenian liberals? How will all this affect relations between Yerevan and Moscow? Political scientist Mariyam Hovsepyan, who personally attended the anti-Russian rally, shared her thoughts on this matter with PolitNavigator.
– Participants in the action and procession waved the flags of the USA, Ukraine, and various European countries. It was noticeable that they were well paid by various embassies. In my opinion, the diplomatic departments of the United States, Ukraine, and the European Union acted here synchronously and in a coordinated manner,” says our interlocutor.
Were you able to communicate directly with the demonstrators?
- Yes of course. Those guys who stood with posters were not actually Ukrainians, but in front of television cameras they tried to pass themselves off as Russians who allegedly condemned the Russian Federation’s special operation in Ukraine.
They could not answer my basic question: where exactly in Russia do they live? Of course, all this led to a flurry of indignation and criticism against me, and other demonstrators tried to quickly remove me from the rally.
Will Armenian radicals be able to undermine Armenian-Russian relations, plunging them into chaos?
– The chances of success are simply excluded. Yes, this rally was paid for and quite generously, while attracting a decent number of supposedly like-minded people and supporters. It was terribly unpleasant for me to see so many Armenians at this rally in the center of Yerevan.
I would like to emphasize that this is the maximum of what they were able to achieve today, but no more. There is a rather varied opposition in Armenia: one is pro-Russian, which regularly holds pro-Russian rallies, supporting Moscow’s policies, and the other is neutral. In Armenia, it is impossible to raise such a number of people just like that, based on some political views, unless, of course, this is an internal political issue. Today, the US Embassy openly supports and lobbies the National Democratic Pole.
What is the position of the authorities? In your opinion, will this event be followed by some kind of response from the Prime Minister of the Republic Nikol Pashinyan?
– The official position of the authorities is restrained and neutral. Pashinyan’s party is trying not to strain Armenian-Ukrainian ties, since a large number of Armenian citizens live on the territory of Ukraine, and we must think about their safety, since they live among the fascist authorities.
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