Author: Liana Toganian

The meeting of Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin on April 1st in the Kremlin was an important meeting with pre-election significance for Pashinyan. 168TVof Revue expressed such an opinion on the air of the program Former Foreign Minister of Artsakh, RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Arman Melikyanspeaking about the content and public effects of the Putin-Pashinyan talks that took place in Moscow last week.

What about during the public conversation between Putin and Pashinyan? QUESTION OF ARTSAKH to the discussion, the former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Artsakh explains it from the point of view that it is not at all desirable for the Kremlin for Russia to be perceived in Armenia as “the main superpower destroying Artsakh”, and that is the reason why Putin and Pashinyan mutually blamed each other for the destruction of Artsakh.

Arman Melikyan draws attention to the question of what effect the public part of the meeting between Putin and Pashinyan, which was also discussed behind closed doors and was more frank, had on the Armenian public and what comments it gave rise to in Russian professional circles.

“I think that, by and large, for the Russian public, with the exception of the Armenian community of Russia, this meeting did not have any significant significance. It was a meeting of intra-Armenian interest, and the effect, according to me, was that the pro-Russian forces of Armenia were excited, the pro-Pashinyan forces of Armenia were excited, and in that sense, it seems that everyone got what they wanted from Moscow and Putin’s lips. We should also keep in mind the context of the preceding events, keep in mind that since 2020, Russia’s credit in Armenia has significantly decreased, and the attitude towards Russia among ordinary citizens has acquired quite serious negative shades, and it is impossible for them not to know this in Moscow,” Arman Melikyan believes.

According to the diplomat, it is another matter that the Russian authorities are used to and have learned to use the attitude of others towards them based on their interests, be it negative or positive, and from this point of view, according to Arman Melikyan, Pashinyan’s rule in Armenia has never really caused any problems for Russia, either at the bilateral level or on international platforms.

“The rhetoric that is used, often accusations, often grievances, has in no way really reflected on the practical side of relations. Now, if Russia knows that the attitude towards it in Armenia, to put it mildly, has worsened during the last 5-6 years, it means that the attitude towards those people whom Russia will support will worsen in Armenia precisely because they are supported by Russia, and on the contrary, when it was visible that Russia is dissatisfied with Pashinyan with his words and even humiliates Pashinyan in front of everyone, this can increase the number of Pashinyan’s supporters in Armenia, if not to say, at least to practical supporters. number only because President Putin humiliates him,” commented Arman Melikyan.

He also added that in all cases, this “humiliation” was mutual, because Pashinyan’s supporters are also convinced that Pashinyan “put Putin’s belly in place” with his answer, so both Russia-lovers and Pashinyan-lovers were excited by this debate that took place in front of the cameras. These are, of course, mainly public perceptions, but it is a completely different question how far they are related to reality.

Turning to the issue of Artsakh during the Putin-Pashinyan conversation, the former Foreign Minister of Artsakh said the following. “In all cases, it is not at all desirable for the Russian side that Russia is perceived in Armenia as the main superpower destroying Artsakh, and that is the reason why they mutually put the blame for the destruction of Artsakh on each other, and both are right, because by and large, together they brought the Artsakh issue to this particular conclusion.”

According to Arman Melikyan, Putin and Pashinyan, by and large, were fooling us with accusations related to Karabakh, rather than each other.

“In reality, what does it matter whether Armenia recognized the independence of Artsakh or not?” It was Russia’s sovereign right to present its attitude towards Artsakh to the international community in a legal form at the political level. In fact, Artsakh was a small ally of Russia in the South Caucasus, and in that sense, Russia has repeatedly made hints about it through the lips of various political figures, therefore, to link the destruction of Artsakh with Armenia’s non-recognition of its independence is at least not correct, that is, it is Russia’s right to decide whether Artsakh is independent or not, and to condition the recognition of that independence on Armenia’s attitude is not correct at all.

The same applies to Pashinyan’s statement, that is, what does it have to do with what the Russian leader announced? If you have your own policy and you really want to recognize the independence of Artsakh, recognize it. Why do you condition that recognition or the protection of Artsakh’s rights with Russia’s attitude?” thinks the former Foreign Minister of Artsakh.

Speaking about the possible outcomes of the ongoing war against Iran, Arman Melikyan believes that there are only two options: either Iran will lose, or the United States and Israel.

Let’s remind that on April 1, the talks between Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin took place in the Kremlin in Moscow. At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the Russian Federation in his speech touched on a number of topics, including Armenian-Russian relations, the volume of bilateral trade turnover, which, according to Putin’s data, amounted to 6.4 billion US dollars in 2025 and 11 billion dollars in 2024, the price of Russian gas sold to Armenia compared to the price sold to European countries, the incompatibility of EAEU-EU membership, dissatisfaction with the CSTO and the issue of Artsakh. the internal political processes in Armenia and the parliamentary elections to be held in June. The head of the Kremlin hinted at the imprisonment of Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan and expressed hope that all political parties of Armenia with a “pro-Russian attitude” will be able to participate in the elections.

Pashinyan had answered, that “there are no participants in political processes in our places of imprisonment”, and that according to the RA Constitution, only those citizens who have an exclusively Armenian passport can participate in the elections.

“Moscow. The Kremlin. In an interview with Pavel Zarubin in the format of the Russian TV program “Putin”, Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson of the Russian President, informed that behind closed doors, the conversation between Putin and Pashinyan lasted for about two hours and was “sincere, useful, necessary”.

Full interview in the video.

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The people are tired of Nikol Pashinyan. he is “driven” everywhere, he is sure Political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, head of “Oskanapat” analytical centerh.

168 TVof Revue on the air of the program, Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan spoke about the current political developments and the situation surrounding Armenia, noting that the opposition forces should act more actively and start a real fight against Pashinyan’s government before the National Assembly elections in June.

“The people are ready and they give these messages all the time. The case of the same young woman from Artsakh, we saw the public response, because there was a fighting girl who asserted her position and put pressure on Nikol Pashinyan, and the people stood up, there was such a big wave that Nikol had to apologize in the evening.

The same applies to the incident of these two young men. If a student movement was formed, there was an attempt to start a struggle in the street, I am more than sure that if some political force initiated such a thing, at least 5000 people would have gathered in the square, but no one took the initiative. With this logic, how can we expect Nikol Pashinyan to lose the elections? I am not saying that there is no such possibility.

If there is a fight like I said, let’s enter that stage, there is that possibility. The people are tired of Pashinyan, the people already reject him, don’t like him, maybe even hate him. large masses of the people hate him, drive him away from everywhere,” Melik-Shahnazaryan thinks.

According to the political scientist, the presence of such a leader in Armenia in the period of current geopolitical “turbulence” and instability is beneficial to all centers of geopolitical power.

Melik-Shahnazaryan is not surprised by the fact that Nikol Pashinyan and his team began to manipulate threats of war during the pre-election period and to scare the people betrayed and defeated in the war with a new “disastrous war”, noting that in 2020 After the 44-day war and the occupation of Artsakh, the fear of war will remain for a long time among the Armenian public, but it also draws attention to the developments taking place around Armenia and, in particular, to Russia’s certain activation, geopolitical conflicts, the statements of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk after the April 1st meeting between Pashinyan and Putin, mentioning TRIPP and the ongoing war against Iran.

According to the prediction of the political scientist, a BIG WAR is coming in the region.

“Russian Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk said in an interview to TASS yesterday that by signing the so-called “Trump’s path” and leaving Russia out of the negotiation process altogether, you violated the security balance in the region formed by the Treaty of Turkmencha signed in 1828, and this is against the interests of both Russia and Iran. Russia, in fact, says that you are violating the security system that has been operating for more than two centuries, and they consider it a threat. And I assure you that especially if the United States and Israel do not solve their problems in Iran, and I am sure they will not, after the end of the war Iran’s behavior will be very different in our region, Russia’s behavior will also be very different in our region, and there is not even a smell of peace here, on the contrary, it smells of a huge conflict, which they will try to hide in some way for two months, until Nikol tries to be elected, and that’s it, but in reality it is a big war. is maturing, and Russia is already talking about that war at the highest level,” comments the political scientist.

When speaking about the transparent hints and statements made by Russia at the highest level, Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan means, of course, the previous day, on April 1, in the Kremlin. Putin-Pashinyan meeting and statements of the President of the Russian Federation in front of cameras.

According to Melik-Shahnazaryan, even Putin said that the security issues of the region are connected with the developments taking place around Artsakh.

Melik-Shahnazaryan notices that Nikol Pashinyan is doing everything so that the name of Artsakh is not mentioned anywhere, but he goes to Moscow, the Russian president actually raises the Karabakh issue. Who was more to blame for Karabakh and whether the same Russia had its share of guilt is, of course, the other side of the question.

“Pashinyan tried to say that you handed over Karabakh, now we have peace, etc., but look at the message Putin sends, the security of the region is connected with the developments around Artsakh.

It means that the Karabakh issue is relevant for Russia, by the way, it is also relevant for the United States, France and many other countries. There is one important thing that we all need to understand now. Nikol says: “If I’m not there, there will be a war”, Russia says: “If Nikol happened, there will be a war”, they say: “You violated the security system of the region, it must be fixed”, and now our people must understand if Nikol did not happen, there will be a war or not.

It is clear that Azerbaijan and Turkey are interested in war, because as long as Nikol is there, they get what they want without war. If there is no Nicole, it is possible that they will try to get it through war.

What can counterbalance the appetite or aspirations of Azerbaijan and Turkey, naturally, the retaliatory actions of Russia and Iran? What does “restoration of the security system” mean in the perception of Russia and Iran?

In my deep conviction, one thing: the weakening of the influence of the West and the weakening of the Turkish factor in the South Caucasus. In the case of the “peace” that Nikol said, the exact opposite is true: the maximum increase of Turkish-Azerbaijani influence, and whatever they want, they will do whatever it takes to ensure that this war does not happen,” Melik-Shahnazaryan analyzes.

This political scientist’s analysis leads to the central question of what choice the Armenian people will make in this situation: will they choose the “restoration of the balance of power” that Russia says, which according to our interlocutor, means the Armenian-inhabited Artsakh and the weakening of the Turkish factor in the South Caucasus, or will they choose the “peace” that Pashinyan said, which means submitting to and serving the Turkish-Azerbaijani interest in our region? The bad news is that, according to Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan, both are “war paths”.

According to the predictions of the head of the “Oskanapat” analytical center, if Nikol Pashinyan is re-elected and after the end of the Iran-Israel-USA war, Russia and Iran will try to reduce the influence of TRIPP and Turkey and will do it through the conflict, and if the opposition wins in Armenia, Armenia will be in the same alliance with Russia and Iran against Turkey, Azerbaijan and the West.

Full interview in the video.

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Armine Hayrapetyan published the transcript of Nikol Pashinyan’s hysterical attack in the subway and Armine Mosiyan’s answers.

“Before the famous hit, he had already offered the map badge to 3 people: a man coming out of doors, a young man looking into his phone, and also a famous journalist on the same train. All three refused, and the journalist’s “I don’t want a map with that image” was received with special respect. “Very good, we have an ideological disagreement.”

In general, on that day in the train, everyone could refuse the gift of “breastplate-map”. To all, EXCEPT ONE.

The next heroes of the live show were the little boy and his mother reading a book. A little later, under the noise of the wheels gathering momentum of the train, the question was sounded.

(I transcribed the entire text below word by word from the famous video, you can compare)

Nikol Pashinyan – Brother, can I give you one of these?

Child: No

Nikol Pashinyan – No?

A woman from Artsakh – We are from Artsakh and to tell the truth, we have a different map

Nikol Pashinyan – What map do you have, sorry?

A woman from Artsakh – More different… (the last few words are not heard)

Nikol Pashinyan – Yes, very good, very good

Five seconds later

Nikol Pashinyan – But your son will live in this map, take that into account

Artsakh woman – Maybe now, but…

Nikol Pashinyan – (interrupts) there is none

A woman from Artsakh – But there is

Nikol Pashinyan – there is no more, we will not let your ideology…

A woman from Artsakh – You won’t let us live in our Artsakh, you haven’t already?

Nikol Pashinyan – You know what…

Artsakh woman – You cannot deprive us of living in Artsakh, the hope of return and everything else

Nikol Pashinyan – You know what, I did everything…

Woman from Artsakh – (interrupts) Please don’t continue, I don’t want to

Nikol Pashinyan – I will not continue, I will continue

A woman from Artsakh – We are late for the tournament, to be honest…

Nikol Pashinyan – My talking does not disturb the train

A woman from Artsakh – (voice obviously excited) – please listen, we are late for the chess tournament, otherwise we would have gone down immediately, but since our hours are counted and we will be defeated for being late, we stayed here, please do not continue our conversation

Nikol Pashinyan – (interrupts) Very well, but since I listened to you, you should also listen to me. We have done everything for you to live in Artsakh, Karabakh, in 2023 it was you who accused me of closing the borders so that the people would not come to Artsakh… so that the people from Karabakh don’t come to Armenia, and you demanded me to open the borders, and you said that I should close them specifically so that the people from Karabakh don’t leave. Now you came here, you say we wanted to come back, (very loudly, waving a finger) but we spent billions earned by the citizens of Armenia so that you could stay here… why didn’t you stay?

A woman from Artsakh – (interrupts) Don’t talk to me waving your finger

Nikol Pashinyan – I will talk to you like this

Parallel:

Artsakh woman – Don’t talk to me in a loud voice and your position here has nothing to do with it

Nikol Pashinyan – I will talk to you like this, and don’t talk about this map so condescendingly

A woman’s voice in the background of Nikol Pashinyan’s loud voice

Woman from Artsakh – What you said has absolutely nothing to do with what I said

Parallel:

Nikol Pashinyan – (in a very loud voice) Any of you, any of you (waving his finger), any of you, any of you (repeats 4 times, looking into the woman’s eyes, waving his finger)

A woman’s voice in the background of Nikol Pashinyan’s loud voice

Artsakh woman – I was talking about a bigger map plus 12,000 square kilometers, don’t talk to me in a loud voice

Nikol Pashinyan – I will talk to you in a loud voice

Artsakh woman – Don’t try

Nikol Pashinyan – Then next time don’t try to say that… with the fugitives, don’t try to say that I gave Karabakh…

A woman from Artsakh – with runaways… if you have found one or two Karabaghs, Artsakh people who talk to you to please the government, it does not mean that all Artsakh people have the same opinion.

Nikol Pashinyan – Listen, tens of thousands of citizens…

Artsakh woman – We are late, don’t make us get off early, we are very late…

Nikol Pashinyan – It is the last stop

The camera pans to capture the woman’s face

Woman from Artsakh – Thank you, there is no need to take pictures of us

Nikol Pashinyan – Tens of thousands of people from Karabagh have received Armenian citizenship and are living in Armenia.

Artsakh woman – Because we have no other choice

Nikol Pashinyan – Don’t use those people in vain, in vain, in vain…

Woman from Artsakh – Until then, we had blue passports of the Republic of Armenia, which were passports, not travel documents.

Nikol Pashinyan – Yes

A woman from Artsakh – For your information, for us and for everyone

Nikol Pashinyan – I know, for your information, and that of Armenia…

A woman from Artsakh – And if people take citizenship again, it means that they have no other means, people live without work, they pay rent, they do it to take advantage of the small rent, that’s just the reason, and not because people find that they are not citizens of the Republic of Armenia and get citizenship again.

Nikol Pashinyan – Listen… people… I am asking for one thing alone…, I am asking for one thing alone. that travel thing… the trend should be removed, the child should calm down, this child does not need to stay…

Artsakh woman – This child wants his house, he wants his room

Nikol Pashinyan – It will

A woman from Artsakh – She wants her toys

Nikol Pashinyan – He will have, he will have…

A woman from Artsakh – She wants her Artsakh, she wants to go to her grandfather’s great-grandfather, who was a legendary commander in 1993 and was killed

Nikol Pashinyan – Dear… very good…

A woman from Artsakh – I’m not interested anymore… in general… I am not one of the Artsakh people you know… (in a loud emotional voice)

Nikol Pashinyan – That child will live in Armenia

Artsakh woman – I don’t continue at all

Nikol Pashinyan – That child will live in Armenia

A woman from Artsakh – (to herself) The child is so angry, will there be a competition after this? We are going out now.

Nikol Pashinyan – The child will live in Armenia, the child will live in Armenia… My request is that you don’t need to stay in the child… enter, I won’t say anything either, don’t come out, I’ll leave you alone…I leave you alone

Artsakh woman – The child, the child… the child is in the motherland, because he does not understand the homeland only Artsakh, he understands Artsakh and Armenia, united

Nikol Pashinyan – Yes, yes, the Republic of Armenia

A woman from Artsakh – 12,000 plus 30,000 square kilometers…

Nikol Pashinyan – Republic of Armenia

A woman from Artsakh – it is the first time in the history of the Armenian people that a Turk lives on the land of Artsakh

Nikol Pashinyan – (Repeats in the same tone) The Republic of Armenia

The train stops

Woman from Artsakh – Today is the worst day of my life, I never imagined that I would see you

Nikol Pashinyan – It’s okay, you have to… do you have to…

Artsakh woman – Please your policemen…

Nikol Pashinyan – (interrupts) Very good, very good, they will leave you alone… quiet

A woman leaves with a child

ATTENTION, THE DOORS ARE CLOSING.”

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