News - Zakharova: Washington and Brussels encouraging Yerevan to depart from CSTO

The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, has expressed concerns about the forceful approach taken by the United States in its dealings with Yerevan. "We see with what destructive fanaticism the Americans treat Yerevan," stated Zakharova. She pointed to the recent visit of Samantha Power, the head of USAID known for her strong anti-Russian stance, and Acting Assistant Secretary of State Yuri Kim, who openly declared efforts to realign Armenia with the West. Zakharova also mentioned a congressional delegation's visit to Armenia, emphasizing that these developments are widely acknowledged. According to Zakharova, there is incoming information suggesting that Washington and Brussels are actively persuading Yerevan to withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), intensify cooperation with NATO, redirect military-technical collaboration, and sign a peace agreement with Azerbaijan without considering the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. Zakharova also said that in their eagerness to attain these objectives, Western actors appear to have disregarded their own values concerning human rights. Zakharova criticized this as a case of "pseudo-democracy" that turns a blind eye to the harassment, beatings, and arrests of Armenian demonstrators. She asserted that while states should determine their internal affairs, the United States should also take note of the situation in Yerevan, particularly regarding the threats faced by opposition figures if protests persist. Zakharova concluded that this represents not just double standards but a complete absence of standards.