Eurasianet: Kremlin switching gears with Armenia: Why did Putin congratulate Pashinyan?

Russian leader Vladimir Putin now is trying to lead a charm offensive on Armenia, Eurasianet writes.

‘’Putin confounded observers in Armenia and beyond by sending a congratulatory note on September 21 to one of his top nemeses, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on the occasion of Armenia’s 35th anniversary of re-independence from Russian rule. The salutations were especially noteworthy since Putin was studiously silent in June following Pashinyan’s re-election in a parliamentary election in which Russia deployed a variety of dirty tricks in a vain effort to engineer the Armenian incumbent’s defeat,’’- the publication writes.

As it is noted, Pashinyan has been steadfast over the past 18 months in reorienting Armenia geopolitically away from the country’s traditional strategic partner Russia toward the West. To Moscow’s chagrin, Yerevan has taken steps to begin what promises to be a lengthy European Union accession process. Armenia is already a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a Russia-led rival to the EU.

Russia has insisted that Armenia must make a choice in the near future on the EU-EAEU issue, contending that Yerevan can’t be a member of both organizations.

Moscow’s intimidation tactics have clearly not succeeded in swaying Pashinyan from his European integration course. So it seems the only option left for the Kremlin is to try kindness.

But given Putin’s lengthy record of bludgeoning behaviour, charm is likely to be a very hard sell for the Kremlin.