“If Zelensky decides to come, then we have to accept it. What is our problem?” Gagik Melkonyan, deputy of the “Civil Contract” faction of the National Assembly, said this in a briefing with journalists.
To the question, isn’t it interesting how Russia will react? The MP answered, “We are not interested in how Russia will react. It is its business. We are interested in the interests of our country. As our country’s interests dictate, we must be guided.”
Journalists reminded the deputy about the allegedly Ukrainian phosphorous weapons used in the 44-day war, but Melkonyan countered, “Can you prove that Ukraine gave them?” When asked whether this fact was not denied, the deputy remarked. “It has not been denied; we cannot say; they also say that the weapon came from Russia.”
To the question: Is Armenia leaving the CSTO? Melkonyan answered: everything in its own time. “If you want us to leave, we will leave; if you don’t want to… Freezing means we have not participated in all CSTO meetings for one year.”
Turning to Lukashenko’s statements that there is no need to rush, Melkonyan notes that Belarus lives as a serf, but we do not want to live the same way. “Now we want to become an independent country, to meet and sign military-technical contracts with whoever we want.”
According to the MP, Armenia has not been independent until now; it depends on Russia. Melkonyan said to the question: Are we Russia’s slaves according to that logic? “Yes, because Russia dictated everything: with whom we should meet, who should be appointed as our ministers, and who should be the president of our country. Russia appointed the Minister of Defense. We are now independent; we appoint our ministers.”
When asked whether Suren Papikyan was also appointed as the head of the Russian Federation, the deputy said, “No.“
