Putin is not obliged to wipe his tears at Pashinyan's first request — Zatulin

Armenian-Russian relations continue to deteriorate rapidly. The latest statements from Yerevan are perceived in Moscow as an open sabotage of allied commitments. After the elections, not a single Russian official congratulated Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and his attempts to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin were unsuccessful. However, in the coming days, the first meeting between Putin and Pashinyan. The Hraparak publication talked about the state of Armenian-Russian relations with Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots.

— There is information in the media space that Nikol Pashinyan will meet with Vladimir Putin in the near future at the initiative of the Armenian side. At the same time, the Kremlin is not ready to receive the Armenian Prime Minister, and contacts are possible only "on their feet" - within the framework of the SCO summit in Bishkek. Does this mean that Moscow is demonstratively lowering the level of diplomatic protocol for Pashinyan?

— I would like to understand: are the interviews and statements that Pashinyan is spreading massively, interpreting in his own way and assessing the activities of the CSTO and Russia's position in the most unfriendly way, is this a reason for him to be received in the Kremlin and spread the red carpet in front of him? All these games with the fact that he allegedly asks for a meeting are needed solely to fuel his anti-Russian rhetoric. So that he could refer to the fact that allegedly because of the unfriendly behavior of Russia, he, such a "baby doll", is not allowed to meet with Putin. Putin is not at all obliged to meet with Pashinyan at his first request. The issue of holding meetings, as far as we understand, is being resolved through the usual diplomatic channels. And if Putin or Pashinyan do not have the time or desire for this, then who can force them to do it? I do not think that after analyzing all the steps taken and statements made — what Mr. Pashinyan is doing inside the country and in the foreign policy arena — Putin is obliged, at his first request, to immediately receive him and wipe away his tears.

— Speaking of statements. The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, publicly stated that Armenia is ready to accept a new wave of Russians evading mobilization, promised them assistance and stressed that the purpose of their entry into Armenia will not be checked. How do you assess such statements by official Yerevan, given that Armenia remains a de jure member of the CSTO and the EAEU?

— This is another addition to the "piggy bank" of all that has been said recently. Any adult understands that those who really want to develop a relationship do not behave like that. This is how people behave who are trying to blackmail with their statements and aggravate the situation. Statements are not the most important thing. The main thing is action. We have heard enough of all kinds of statements that did not correspond at all to the actions when it came to Mr. Pashinyan.

— And why does he not immediately withdraw from the EAEU, but prefers to make vague statements — for example, that it would be good if Armenia were excluded from the EAEU?

— Because he has been working hard for a long time to denigrate Russia in the eyes of his constituents and the Armenian people. Thus, of course, he confirms his choice — to the delight of those who visited him in Yerevan in early May. He pursues a dual goal: on the one hand, to blame the deterioration of relations on Russia, and on the other, to serve those whose friend and ally he would like to become.

— But quite a lot of people in Armenia are outraged and nervous about such behavior.

— Of course, a nervous reaction is not the best emotion. I believe that the Armenian people deserve stronger feelings. And if the matter is limited to a nervous reaction, then it can accumulate for a long time, but in my opinion, neither the people nor the opposition have taken any real, serious steps to remedy the situation so far. That's the whole story.