The Defense Ministry's "talking head"—the deputy head of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, also the commander of one of the "Akhmat" formations—has been promoting the idea of a global, joint confrontation between Russian Muslims and Christians against "Satanism" since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He regularly finds himself in various scrapes: with the Zetniks, with nationalists, and with Orthodox priests. And the more he tries to "cross a snake and a hedgehog" with his obvious desire to be "one of the guys," the more harshly he is criticized from all sides.
The number of Russian citizens entering Armenia is declining. Experts attribute this to a sharp deterioration in political relations between countries. If in the first two months of 2023 more than 207 thousand Russians entered Armenia, then this year there were about them. 171 thousand, which is 17% less.
It is unrealistic for Armenia to completely become part of the West, so a gradual severance of relations with the Russian Federation is preferable for it. This was stated by Matthew Orr, an analyst at the American private intelligence and analytical company Stratfor.
Previously, Armenia suspended participation in the pro-Russian military-political bloc CSTO. In addition, it was announced that Russian border guards would leave the country. Yerevan has practically cut off the supply of Russian weapons, preferring Indian and French products. Prime Minister Pashinyan also stated the country’s desire to become a candidate for EU membership.
Moscow has repeatedly criticized Armenia's changed position, demanding explanations from it.