In a marked shift from its traditional foreign policy alignment, Armenia has taken decisive steps to redefine its security posture by moving to expel Russian border guards from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan. This comes in the backdrop of a serious degradation in the relationship between Armenia and Russia, punctuated by Armenia’s suspension of its membership in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan accused the CSTO of failing to provide security during Azerbaijan’s military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. In an assertive demonstration of its disapproval, Armenia’s Security Council Secretary, Armen Grigoryan, announced the decision to eject Russian guards from the airport. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refuted the claim, stating, “As far as we understand, there have been no decisions made in this regard. No such decisions have been communicated to us through official channels.”
The presence of Russian border guards at “Zvartnots” airport concerns us, as it does the majority of the public. This matter is a focal point for our political group. Artur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the “Civil Contract” faction in the National Assembly, declared this today at the parliamentary briefings.
As a result of the discussions, when there are decisions, we will all know about those decisions in an institutional way,” said Hovhannisyan. He stated, “The issue of Russian border guards at ‘Zvartnots’ airport worries us, like most of the public.” The Armenian political discourse now reflects an agenda that seeks to reassess the presence and role of Russian forces in the country. Hovhannisyan underscored the public unease, acknowledging that the number of guards was contentious, but emphasizing that the existence of the border guards was the primary concern.
The growing distance between Yerevan and Moscow is also seen through Armenia’s “frozen” participation in the CSTO. “Practically, Armenia‘s participation in the Collective security treaty organization (CSTO) is essentially frozen,” stated Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan in an interview with France24. Political analyst Gurgen Simonyan characterized this as a “belated response” to Russian “inept policy” towards Armenia. There is speculation that Yerevan has considered the potential for Russian retaliatory measures, including military escalation via Azerbaijan, as well as disruptions in gas supplies.
The decision to expel the border guards from Yerevan airport seems to reflect a broader intention by Armenia to establish a new security architecture that could involve enhanced cooperation with Western countries. This pivot away from Russia signals Armenia’s endeavor to assert its sovereignty and reassess its security alliances in light of recent geopolitical challenges.
Relevant articles:
– Armenia moves to expel Russian border guards from Yerevan’s airport
– The issue of Russian border guards at “Zvartnots” airport is on the agenda. Discussions are taking place. MP (VIDEO), Radar Armenia, Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:56:11 GMT
– “Belated response”: on Armenia’s freezing of participation in the Russian-led CSTO bloc, JAMnews, Sat, 24 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– The Hunt For A Russian Spy: How The FSB Used A Mexican Man To Target A Defector In Miami, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT