Pashinyan: Russia fails to deliver weapons Armenia purchased
Russia has not yet delivered arms Armenia has already paid for, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that discussions to solve the issue are underway, ArmenPress reported on Nov. 24.
One possible solution could be a deduction of Armenia's debt to Russia in the amount of the paid sum, the prime minister suggested.
Pashinyan provided no details on the arms or how much Yerevan paid for them.
A rift between Yerevan and Moscow has been growing as Russia did not prevent Azerbaijan's armed capture of Nagonko-Karabakh despite Russian peacekeepers' presence in the region.
In a comment for the Wall Street Journal, Pashinyan implied that Russia failed to live up to its commitments as an ally and that he sees no further use in the continued presence of Russian military bases in the country.
Armenia also refused to participate in a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a Russia-led military coalition, held in Minsk on Nov. 23, attracting criticism from Belarusian and Russian leaders.
As worries grow that Baku may expand its aggression even to Armenian soil, the South Caucasian country has been looking further west for allies, securing military aid from France.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova criticized Yerevan's pro-Western steps, warning Pashinyan against "trying to sit on two chairs."
Francis Farrell
