If civil war breaks out in Armenia, Russia cannot sit with its eyes closed — Arbak Khachatryan

“If civil clashes or a civil war begin in Armenia, Russia cannot sit with its eyes closed,” expert Arbak Khachatryan said in a conversation with First Informational.

Asked whether Russia had provoked this internal tension in Armenia, Khachatryan replied: “If you are not fighting with a member of your family inside your own home, the neighbor does not intervene. Russia does not need chaos in Armenia. This government did everything to increase Russian influence. There is a Russian military base in Armenia and Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh. If the situation heats up to the point where civil clashes begin, Russia cannot avoid intervening. Although I repeat once again: a chaotic situation in Armenia is not in Russia’s interest. This could become a regional problem, rather than just Armenia’s. There are already many problems around the world today—Syria, Donbas—and these few square kilometers of territory, alongside all of that, are also in the focus of the world’s attention.”

Arbak Khachatryan had predicted this danger in our earlier interviews. Today our interlocutor believes that resolving the situation is very difficult, but possible: “No international norm works today. I believe that a council of justice for all Armenians must be established; no other institution should operate.”