In an interview with the Fifth Channel, Armenia's second President Robert Kocharyan stated that only Russia is capable of restraining Turkey and Azerbaijan.
"By strengthening our army, we can deter Azerbaijan, but we cannot contain Turkey or the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem on our own," he said.
Kocharyan emphasized that Armenia should not turn Turkey into an enemy, but must also deter its and Azerbaijan’s ambitions toward Armenia. In his view, only Russia has the capacity to do so.
"If you spin the globe, you'll see that only one country has that potential, and this country is Russia. Macron and France certainly don’t, they have no vital interests here. France’s army numbers 200,000, of which only about 50,000 are combat-ready. The U.S. has neither interest nor will to pursue a deterrent policy in this region," he said.
He argued that an experienced leader would have worked to develop relations with Russia that secure deterrence mechanisms in Armenia’s favor. Instead, he claimed, the current Armenian authorities have deepened tensions with Russia while seeking closer ties with countries that pose actual threats.
"Now tell me, is that rational? This is not how international relations work," Kocharyan added.
He noted that Russia and Turkey have competed for influence in the South Caucasus for at least 250 years, a rivalry that has repeatedly led to war and uneasy peace.
Addressing claims that Russia has been weakened by the war in Ukraine, Kocharyan argued that such opinions misunderstand reality.
"Russia has become a global agenda-setter as a result of the war. Today, it is among the top three geopolitical players and has the most capable military. If Armenia's current leadership doesn’t grasp this, it's a sign of geopolitical ignorance," he said.
According to Kocharyan, a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will lead to lasting peace only if Armenia has clear deterrence mechanisms and guarantees behind it.
He also criticized the government’s campaign against the church, comparing it to how the military was weakened.
"We shouldn't have lost. Azerbaijan didn’t have that advantage—I can tell you that with confidence. Under slogans of improving the army, Pashinyan dismantled it. Now he’s doing the same with the church.
Try to view the attack on the church through the eyes of Erdogan or Aliyev—it will immediately become clear what's happening," he said.
Kocharyan believes that the government's actions align with what a foreign agent might do.
"If Armenia's leader were a Turkish agent, he would do exactly what our current government is doing. Pashinyan says he’s a believer and wants to appear as though he has a direct line to Christ, as if they're related. The same model was used to dismantle the military—by sowing distrust toward commanders, leading to a loss of combat readiness and disintegration.
Now he’s doing the same to the church, undermining trust in the clergy and the Catholicos, thereby shaking the church’s foundations. This is a direct assault on the church, not just on individuals. I don’t think it will succeed. I’m confident the church will receive the people’s support—and that of political forces, even those who don’t normally support each other," Kocharyan said.
