Analyst: Armenia has reserved the status of a bargaining chip in the hand of Russia

 Armenia has reserved the status of a bargaining chip in the hand of Russia, Manvel Sargsyan, the Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studues (ACNIS), told media.

He spotlighted the Russian president's statement made in Armenia overnight wherein Vladimir Putin said that Russia will not leave the South Caucasus and will continue its policy based on traditions.  

"When it comes traditions, Armenia for Russia is nothing but a resource, a staging area for promotion of Moscow's interests.  This is what we had in the early 20th century, and this is what we will have in future.  Armenia will remain a tool Moscow uses in its relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan," Minasyan said.  The analyst is sure that the Armenian-Russian relations under current conditions are dangerous for Armenia. He said that it is high time for Yerevan to see the real content of its relations with a country that sells weapons to its enemy Azerbaijan.  

"Unfortunately, the Armenian authorities are unable to revise these relations. The statements that Russia provides security of Armenia and the relations with Russia have no alternative showed Armenia's defeat and feebleness," Minasyan said.
The expert believes that Russia, in turn, arms and strengthens Azerbaijan to make Yerevan more dependent on Moscow. 

"We must realize that only Russia is able to provoke a new war in Karabakh. Moscow openly uses that threat making Armenia to access the Customs Union and sign one-sided contracts in the energy field," he said.