‘Not our friends’: anger with Russia builds in Armenia
- Moscow’s inaction in helping Armenia deal with its arch-foe Azerbaijan has led to calls for the country to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organisation pact
- While ordinary Russians are welcomed in Armenia following Ukraine invasion, mood against elites in Moscow could fuel anti-Russian sentiment, analysts warn
Standing in a busy street flanked by green sycamores near Yerevan’s Opera House, Artur Sargsyan says Russia is an unreliable partner and Armenia should look for allies elsewhere.
“I dream of a day when Armenia leaves the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Russian sphere of influence,” said Sargsyan, a 26-year-old philologist, referring to the Moscow-led regional pact.
“Russia and the CSTO have not helped Armenia during a very difficult time,” he said, referring to the inaction of the security bloc in the face of hostilities with arch-foe Azerbaijan.
A key illustration of Russia’s diminishing regional influence is Armenia, until now one of Moscow’s closest allies.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the tiny Caucasus country of around three million people has relied on Russia for its military and economic support. The country hosts a Russian military base and many people in the country speak Russian.
But now many in Armenia say they cannot forgive Moscow for shirking its responsibility to defend their country militarily against Turkey-allied Azerbaijan.