“We continue to proceed from the premise that it would be not merely honest, but absolutely essential, to determine which path the republic is taking,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said once again in response to yet another question about Armenia at yet another briefing.
It would be not only honest, but perhaps absolutely essential, for Maria Zakharova to speak about Armenia as little as possible. That would be the honest thing to do if only because she does not use even a quarter of this rhetoric when speaking about Azerbaijan. This is particularly striking given that, in terms of its political substance and underlying logic, the Armenian government’s conduct toward Russia bears little comparison with the policy pursued by Azerbaijan against Russian interests.
This, of course, in no way “justifies” Nikol Pashinyan’s inept policy toward Russia. But the point is that there is a very interesting kind of “reciprocity” at work here.
Through his policies, Nikol Pashinyan provides Russia with an “alibi” for a policy toward the post-Soviet countries that, according to the assessments of many Russian experts, has failed — including in the case of Armenia. And these are not just any Russian experts: they are fairly authoritative figures who cannot be described as Kremlin propagandists, while at the same time, to put it mildly, they are not liberal propagandists either, whom one could accuse of simply bashing Moscow.
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Thus, through his policies, Nikol Pashinyan provides an “alibi” for the consequences stemming from years of failed policy, when those responsible for Russia’s foreign policy simply rested on the laurels of the Soviet historiography of “Russian-Armenian friendship,” while their geopolitical rivals were working intensively both in the region and in Armenia itself.
And those responsible for the failure of that policy — the very people for whom Maria Vladimirovna serves as spokeswoman — are, through their statements and assessments, as well as through those of their spokeswoman, providing an “alibi” for Pashinyan’s ineptitude.
And that means there is mutual dishonesty toward the Armenian people and Armenian society.
HAKOB BADALYAN
