“If the Armenians now stage a demarche and leave the CSTO [a military bloc operating under the leadership of Russia], this will seriously affect the war in Ukraine, bring victory closer, and save thousands of lives,” Andrias Ghukasyan, an Armenian political scientist, believes.

According to him, Russia’s exit from the security system has its price, but the West is “ready to compensate Armenia’s expenses, repair the damage and assist in restoring the security system.”

“In a year or two, when Ukraine achieves visible, tangible results, no one will compensate for our losses, a change in our position will no longer have any political significance. And now it is, it is of great importance.”

The political scientist also talked about military cooperation with France, stressing that President Macron himself hinted at this during a meeting with the Armenian community.

According to Ghukasyan, the idea that nobody needs Armenia and the region, that either Russia or Turkey should be represented, is Russian propaganda.

The political scientist is convinced that Turkey’s goal is to “eliminate the sovereignty of Armenians through the Russians” by joining Armenia to the Russian Federation.

“Turkey’s plan is to eliminate the independence of Armenia. There are no such conditions, as a result of which Turkey and Azerbaijan will make peace with Armenia,” he said.

Russia’s debt for the supply of weapons to Armenia
“France is ready for military cooperation with Armenia”
“I have exerted and will continue to exert more pressure on Ilham Aliyev than Nikol Pashinyan himself. It’s about Pashinyan. I am the only one who has a clear position and message on the Karabakh issue. Do not doubt my determination regarding Karabakh and Armenia as a whole,” Emmanuel Macron said at a meeting with the Armenian community in Marseille at the end of June.

Ghukasyan is sure that these words were really heard at this meeting and emphasizes Macron’s point that “the most serious problem for advancing Armenian interests is the position of the head of Armenia”:

“France is forced to say: the problem is in your power, we are ready to support Armenia, but there is no support, there is no opportunity, roughly speaking, we are unilaterally doing what we can.”

He also draws attention to the fact that Macron also spoke about the appointment of a military attaché at the French Embassy in Armenia.

“In this way, he proved to the representatives of the diaspora, the citizens of France, that France is ready to provide military assistance to Armenia,” the pollologist believes.

He considers the reason for the lack of progress in military cooperation in the West not the position of France, the United States or the European Union, but the Pashinyan government.

The analyst regards Armenia’s relations with the West as “failed”, being at the lowest level.

Ghukasyan claims that the situation dictates to take the steps that he proposed back in 2021, namely to develop the Armenian-French military cooperation and replace defense ties with the Russian Federation.

“France will not provide the latest types of weapons, but will help” – Armenian analyst
On the Paris meetings of the Minister of Defense of Armenia, as well as an expert’s commentary on cooperation with France in the field of defense

Visit of the Minister of Defense of Armenia to France
Why is France criticized in Baku?
To the question, “what danger can France pose for Aliyev that he criticizes this country so sharply,” Ghukasyan replied:

“France is a nuclear power with a powerful army, a player that cannot be ignored. But there are other circumstances as well. Aliyev owns property in France, they can at least confiscate it, and this is a lot. Aliyev’s family members are being treated in France, there are many other issues.”

The day before, during a government meeting, the Prime Minister of Armenia said that criticism of international organizations and countries that realistically assess the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh “is part of the Azerbaijani policy of ethnic cleansing” in the region.

“In this regard, Azerbaijan has already launched a large-scale anti-propaganda against France for several months, on the official and public platforms of which there are targeted assessments and concerns are expressed about the illegal steps taken by Azerbaijan against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Propaganda against France is aimed at preventing a possible targeted assessment of the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh by other countries,” he stressed.