The move comes as the fate of the de facto state appears ever more precarious, and it is not clear what Ruben Vardanyan’s wealth, authority, or Moscow connections might mean.
The country would spend 47 percent more on defense in 2023, as Azerbaijan continues to bolster its own military and Russia, Armenia’s security guarantor, is bogged down in Ukraine.
Armenians could usually rely on favorable coverage from the media of its strategic ally. Following another escalation, that no longer seems to be the case.
Immediately following the heavy fighting, pro-government media promoted an irredentist Azerbaijani project on Armenian territory. Then, just as quickly, they disavowed it.
Several activists and politicians have been branded “traitors” on government-linked social media after they expressed their opposition to Azerbaijan’s recent attacks against Armenia.
Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking American official ever to visit Armenia, and it came at a critical time during the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan.
The Russia-led security bloc is supposed to oblige members to come to one another’s defense. But its response so far to Azerbaijan’s attack on Armenia has been anemic.
Days before Azerbaijan launched an assault against Armenia, Armenians began using a new, Azerbaijan-constructed road to travel between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
Tension between the two sides has been exacerbated by continuing disagreement of the nature of a road that would connect the two parts of Azerbaijan through Armenian territory.
Ruben Vardanyan has said his move is a patriotic gesture and he has dropped hints about entering politics. But others wonder if international sanctions against Russia may be motivating him, too.
A lack of detailed data means that it is difficult to measure what a 49 percent increase in exports to Russia means. But the country’s partners in Europe and the U.S. are watching.
But just as Azerbaijani troops were entering the territory, however, it emerged that the new road that was the purported reason for the handover would not be ready for another week.