In a Telegram post, Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy chairman of the International Relations Committee of Russia’s Federation Council, commented on the statements made by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien, noting that he directly outlined the main purpose of the many visits of U.S. administration officials to Armenia.
“Judging by this contemptuous statement about Yerevan, Washington is not interested in the fate of this country. It turns out that “strategic partnership” in the American style means to achieve a severing of relations between Russia and the country without investing a lot of time, regardless of the means,” the official wrote.
Professor Arman Grigoryan of Lehigh University (Pennsylvania) stated in a conversation with TASS’s correspondent that the present authorities of Armenia seem to be trying to change the “strategic orientation” of their country, actually ignoring the risks this step entails. “Unfortunately, some U.S. officials, like O’Brien, seem to intend to take advantage of this opportunity,” the expert noted. He added that, in this respect, Armenia will not be any different from Georgia or Ukraine. “I also cannot understand how and why the West would be ready to do more for the defense of Armenia than it wanted or could do for Georgia and Ukraine if the tension in Armenian-Russian relations reached an open confrontation,” Grigoryan said.
To remind, James O’Brien said: “We need to diversify its [Armenia’s] policy so that Armenia could take the bold steps Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is urging the country to take, which will mean severing ties with Russia,” O’Brien added.
