Political scientist named the reasons for the withdrawal of Russian border guards from Armenia

The expert explained under what conditions relations between Moscow and Yerevan can normalize

Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan called the Russian border guards located on the territory of Armenia “incapable” of protecting the country in the event of a threat. The authorities of the Transcaucasian republic intend to withdraw representatives of the Russian FSB border service from the country by August 1. The expert noted that the Armenian security forces have learned a lot from their Russian colleagues and the time has come to ensure their own security.

“I highly doubt that if Turkey decides to attack Armenia, Russian border guards can or will act or protect. I have great doubts,” said Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that Russian border guards would stop serving at Yerevan Zvartnots Airport until August 1. There is no talk yet about the withdrawal of representatives of the border service of the FSB of the Russian Federation from the Armenian-Turkish border.

Russia was critical of the decision of the Armenian side, taking into account the range of other steps taken by Yerevan. Armenia is announcing a “freeze” of its membership in the CSTO and is threatening complete withdrawal if the organization does not recognize its area of ​​responsibility. According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, the withdrawal of Russian border guards does not meet the security interests of the republic.

MK talked about this with Associate Professor of GAUGN Artur Avakov:

— We can rely on Pashinyan’s official statement. The Armenian security forces have learned a lot from their Russian colleagues, they are grateful to them for their help, but the time has come to ensure their own security at the airport.

One can only guess whether there were other reasons. This step will probably be positively assessed in the USA and France. Moreover, in recent statements they emphasize the distancing of Armenia from Russia. But if there had been a risk for Zvartnots as a result, Yerevan would not have done anything like that. In general, this is a convenient and pleasant air harbor in all respects. In this regard, we can recall the Russian border guards on the border with Turkey. They are not going to remove them, they are not discussing this topic at all.

— Is there a chance for normalization of relations between Armenia and Russia?

– It depends on what is considered normal. Armenia is diversifying its sources of security. It is obvious that the statements that are heard in the Armenian media are often quite offensive for Moscow. This is also due to the management style of the Armenian leadership. They were originally formed as street politicians, not office workers. Plus, they have never hidden their skepticism towards Yerevan’s orientation exclusively or predominantly towards Russia. From their point of view, what has happened since the fall of 2020 may look like a confirmation of their long-held beliefs.

But if the conditional Pashinyan and Simonyan are replaced by more restrained people, practical steps are unlikely to change much. To do this, it is necessary to change not the Armenian leaders, who are elected by the people, not aliens, but Russian policy in the South Caucasus. She should become more active. After all, the Russian Foreign Ministry rightly notes that Moscow has more opportunities to stabilize the South Caucasus than France. The question is priorities.