Publicist and journalist Gayane Harutyunyan considers former Deputy Defense Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan’s response to the leader of the “Right Sector” Dmitry Yarosh’s statement that people in Ukraine will not forget Armenia’s position in connection with the seizure, inadequate. Recall that Mr. Shirkhanyan, in the interview with the “People” newspaper, reminded Mr. Yarosh, “And doesn’t Yarosh recall that in 1991-1993, during the Artsakh war, Ukrainian mercenaries were fighting in Azerbaijan army against Armenia?” “Mercenaries have no nationality, mercenaries cannot be linked to a whole country, mercenary is mercenary, be it a Ukrainian or a foreigner. There were many Azeri mercenaries in Karabakh war, Turks and Afghans, we remember them talking about mercenaries of different color and nationalities, including Russian mercenaries… the Russia regular army has fought against the Armenian people.
We recall the devastation of Armenians in Shahumyan, which was conducted by Russian servicemen. In this case, the official Yerevan or no one from Armenia remembers it or accuses Russia, moreover, they blame mercenaries and associate it with Ukraine and are trying to incite ethnic hostility. I think it pursues inciting the very hostility. Applying a double standard to own people is dangerous. If in Armenia, they are trying to shut down the mouths of the people talking against the Russian government by saying “shut up” because there are many Armenians living there, and pressures and unfriendly behavior can be exercised there against Armenians. Whereas in Ukraine, where there are also many Armenians, they do not think about them when inciting hatred,” said Mrs. Arustamyan. In her opinion, Mr. Shirkhanyan’s response was also inadequate.
“This reaction is inadequate if Yarosh is speaking about official Armenia, which is a very short-sighted position, then comparing the position of official representatives with mercenary and introduce it as equivalent, I think it is not only dangerous, but I see also a trend, I also see here immature, far from the politics, in short, a political ignorance.”
Arpine SIMONYAN
