Zatulin says Russia shouldn’t recognize Armenian election results if Pashinyan wins

If Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wins the upcoming parliamentary elections, Russia should not officially recognize the results, Konstantin Zatulin, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, said in an interview with NSN.

According to Zatulin, Pashinyan “has already done enough to cast doubt on the honesty, fairness, objectivity and legitimacy of these elections.”

“He is Russia’s absolute enemy, who, after coming to power, was forced to disguise his intentions and goals. We hoped that over time he would change his mind, that he would not go anywhere. But he used us. Before becoming prime minister, he absolutely did not hide his views. He wrote that Armenia should get rid of its entire past, of Russia, leave the CSTO, leave the Eurasian Economic Union, and remove the Russian military base from Gyumri. It was sheer madness for us to think that he would suddenly come over to our side or abandon his convictions after coming to power. In this regard, he is a completely consistent person. He is undoubtedly cunning,” Zatulin said.

The Russian lawmaker stressed that if Pashinyan is re-elected, the situation will only worsen.

“Of course, if Pashinyan is re-elected, the trend will be toward a final rupture between Armenia as a state and its obligations within these alliances. He will adopt an openly anti-Russian stance, and further pressure will be exerted on everyone who does not adhere to this view — and that is certainly at least half of Armenia’s population,” Zatulin stated.