I Left, But Nancy Pelosi Stayed: Zatulin

The West is playing with Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the main goal of pushing Russia's influence out of the region, and it is achieving new successes in this endeavor. This was stated by Konstantin Zatulin, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration, and Relations with Compatriots, after his visit to Armenia.

Zatulin visited Armenia from September 16-18. He noted that the European Union's platform in Brussels has been selected to replicate the Camp David experience in the context of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

"I left, but Nancy Pelosi stayed. This is a bitter joke, but it reflects the situation. The government of Armenia and the supporting circles are trying to get closer to the U.S. and the West to find a foothold both inside and outside the country," he said.

Zatulin emphasized that for Russia, which is occupied with Ukraine, the Caucasus is not an easy landscape today. However, the lack of clear and public assessment of events, according to him, is causing disappointment among the Armenian society.

“Azerbaijan and Turkey, which is backing it, have gained leverage that incites anti-Russian sentiments in Armenia without formalities. The Armenian authorities themselves do not oppose attributing all difficulties to Russia, including the responsibility towards the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. We are close to a crossroads. How Armenia and Russian-Armenian relations will develop depends on the decisions that need to be made soon,” Zatulin's statement reads.

He also noted that many in Armenia have come to terms with the defeat suffered in the 2020 war, as evidenced by the results of the extraordinary parliamentary elections held in the summer of 2021. “Armenia, like the entire region, needs peace, but not at the cost of perpetual humiliation,” Zatulin emphasized.

During his visit, Zatulin was briefed on the situation following the outbreak of military operations between Azerbaijan and Armenia last week. He visited the city of Jermuk, which had been shelled.

It should be noted that Azerbaijani military units had been intensively firing artillery and large-caliber firearms towards the directions of Goris, Sotk, and Jermuk since September 13. The adversary had also employed drones.

On September 16, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a government meeting that the confirmed number of casualties on the Armenian side has reached 135.

Since 8 PM on September 14, a ceasefire regime has been established along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, which is still being maintained. According to the statement from Armenia's Security Council, the number of those killed and missing due to the large-scale aggression by Azerbaijan's armed forces has reached 207, including three civilians killed, two civilians considered missing, 293 military personnel injured, seven civilians injured, and 20 military personnel captured.