THE CURRENT STATUS

The current government of the Republic of Armenia, headed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, has long ago lost its legitimacy because it has not fulfilled any part of its pre-election program. In fact, it has reneged on every single promise. Moreover, it has carried out and continues to carry out the directives of our enemy states, Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, and their tyrannical leaders, by having ceded and continuing to cede territories of our sacred Homeland, all of which is unconstitutional and criminal in nature, as the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia states that all issues related to the alteration of its lands and borders are to be decided by the people through a referendum. To date, no referendum has been held, despite the promises during the pre-election campaign to resolve no issues without the people's consent. Pashinyan is leading the country towards dictatorship, increasing the number of police forces day by day, which is aimed not at protecting the people but at suppressing democracy and shielding this corrupt and traitorous government from righteous uprising by the people. This government is an enemy government and must leave as soon as possible; otherwise, Armenia will lose its statehood, and this time, forever. 

Russia’s control over Armenia began in earnest during the mid-1990s, following Armenia’s victory in the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. Russia gradually established economic dominance by controlling key sectors, including energy, telecommunications, mining, infrastructure, and finance. This provided the Kremlin with unparalleled influence over Armenia’s domestic and foreign policies. Russia’s interference intensified in 1999 when several top Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, were assassinated. The killings were reportedly orchestrated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), further tightening Russia’s grip on Armenia’s political leadership.

The most significant modern example of Russian influence in Armenia occurred in 2018 when Nikol Pashinyan came to power. Serge Sargsyan, the president at the time, had refused to cede Artsakh to Azerbaijan under the so-called Lavrov Plan, which upset Russian interests. Moscow backed Pashinyan, a former opposition figure and newspaper editor, to replace Sargsyan. Pashinyan had a controversial past, including his involvement in protests in 2008 that led to the deaths of ten civilians. Despite this, Russia saw Pashinyan as more willing to align with their objectives, including surrendering Artsakh to Azerbaijan.

Once Pashinyan assumed office, Russia covertly supported him while launching a disinformation campaign portraying him as a “globalist” with ties to the West.  Many Armenians initially believed Pashinyan was pro-West, largely because of their desire for change. However, his government continued to work closely with Russia, even sending Armenian troops to Syria to support Russian forces.

Russia’s interference culminated during the 2020 Artsakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Throughout the war, Russian disinformation was rampant, and Russian journalists were instrumental in spreading false narratives. Russian war correspondents not only reported on the conflict but allegedly disclosed Armenian defense positions to Azerbaijan. Despite Russia’s nominal role as a mediator, its actions during and after the war indicated clear support for Azerbaijan. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu described the conflict as a “successful operation,” while Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin boasted that Russia helped Azerbaijan regain control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

This war resulted in the deaths of approximately 5,000 Armenian soldiers and deepened Russia’s influence in the region. Shortly before the war ended, Russian military officials embedded within Armenia’s Ministry of Defense reportedly helped coordinate military actions. Moreover, Russia secured the loyalty of Azerbaijan and Turkey, two key players in the region, by sacrificing Armenian interests—particularly the disputed territory of Artsakh—in exchange for strategic partnerships beneficial to Moscow’s broader geopolitical goals.

Western policymakers have failed to adequately recognize or counter Russia’s actions in Armenia, allowing the Kremlin’s influence to flourish unchecked. Russia has leveraged Armenia’s economic dependence and manipulated political processes to maintain control, often cloaking its objectives behind propaganda campaigns. Despite multiple reports on Russian interference, such as “The Kremlin Playbook” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Western responses have been inadequate. Armenia has remained a vital pawn in Russia’s larger geopolitical strategy, and Moscow’s efforts to undermine Armenia’s independence and sovereignty have gone largely unchallenged by Western governments.

In addition to failing to curb Russia’s influence, Western countries made several blunders in handling the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The current peace deal, shaped largely by Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, has been criticized for facilitating ethnic cleansing and further destabilizing the region. The West's passive approach has allowed Russia to continue undermining Armenia’s sovereignty, with Moscow maintaining a significant military and economic presence in the country.

There are several ways to counter the Russian influence. These include increasing intelligence-sharing among Western agencies, improving the quality of media reporting from the region, and working more closely with pro-Western opposition parties in Armenia. Western policymakers are urged to acknowledge their past mistakes, particularly regarding the settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to take more proactive steps in supporting Armenia’s independence and regional stability.

This section is largely based on an article by Dr. David A. Grigorian, titled "Russia's Influence and Disinformation Campaign in Armenia" the full text of which can be found at   https://ecipe.org/publications/russias-influence-disinformation-campaign-in-armenia/