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“The Decline & Demise of the Armenian-Russian Relationship”

RSC

RSC

As an independent “think tank” in Armenia, the Regional Studies Center (RSC) regularly cooperates and collaborates with institutional partners outside of Armenia.  One such partner is the “Free Russia Foundation,” an international organization supporting civil society and democratic development in Russia.

As an element of that partnership, the RSC provides in-depth analyses of Armenia-Russia issues. Our most recent publication, entitled “The Decline & Demise of the Armenian-Russian Relationship,” was published on 31 January 2023.

In this latest analysis, RSC Director Richard Giragosian notes that “the context of the Armenian-Russian relationship has been dramatically transformed. After a sustained period of decline, the strategic partnership between the two countries has now reached its lowest point. In contrast to other cases, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, much of its deterioration with Armenia has been driven by the Kremlin’s lack of action and attention.”

Giragosian went on to argue that “despite the now obvious mistakes, missteps, and miscalculations in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has excelled in one area—making enemies and losing friends. From Central Asia to the South Caucasus, each of Russia’s neighbours now understands its weakness and recognizes that Russia is deeply isolated, even if it is ever more dangerous. And nowhere this perception is as clear as in Armenia.”

And after dispelling the “myth of Russian power,” Giragosian concludes by stating that “in the period of insecurity and uncertainty after the Nagorno-Karabakh war, only one thing is clear: Russia has become unreliable and unpredictable. It poses a new deadly challenge; and, given its blunders in Ukraine, the logic and expectations of Russian security obligation to Armenia no longer apply.”

For background on our partner, the Free Russia Foundation was founded in 2014 and seeks to unite and coordinate the global efforts of activists, organizations and programs that share a vision of a free, democratic, peaceful and prosperous Russia, reintegrated into the international community as a constructive and positive actor.

Link: “The Decline & Demise of the Armenian-Russian Relationship,” published on 31 January 2023.