Political scientist: Rich Armenians living in Russia are means of influence, pressure for Moscow

Rich Armenians living in Russia are a means of influence and pressure for official Moscow, political scientist Ilgar Valizade told Report.

Speaking about the steps to be taken by Moscow against the background of the tension between Russia and Armenia, the political commentator said that the Kremlin may use the Armenian billionaires living in the territory opposite Yerevan in the future: "This mechanism will be used in all cases. Because Russia uses the Armenian diaspora for its own purposes. Moscow simply keeps this asset for the future. However, the recent conflict of interest between the parties does not justify the use of this card. Because there are currently unfavorable conditions from a political point of view."

The political analyst believes that Russia anticipates an eventual shift in Armenia’s leadership, which could lead to Moscow leveraging Armenian interests. Regarding Armenia’s leadership’s aspiration to transition from Russian to Western alignment, Valizade highlighted several challenges, including Yerevan’s significant financial dependence on Moscow.

“Armenia has received substantial financial support from Russia, with recent direct transfers amounting to approximately $3.5 billion, constituting 17 percent of Armenia’s budget. In contrast, financial aid from Western countries to Armenia is significantly lower. It is unlikely that Western nations will be able to match Russia’s level of financial assistance to Armenia anytime soon,” he noted.

The expert also drew attention to the fact that the West is in no hurry to replace Russia in the near future:

"Processes show that the West is in no hurry to do this. Because the West has other problems, so the policy carried out by Armenia is very dangerous and may result in certain problems. Currently, it seems that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has the opportunity to pursue this policy and wants to make the most of it. However, it should be taken into account that if Russia breaks all relations with Armenia, then a deep economic crisis may occur in Armenia."