No Solution Given by Pashinyan to Any Justification Presented by the Military: Khachatryan

Nikol Pashinyan has done what he wanted for the army, not what was necessary for the military. Any justification has had no value for him, Tiran Khachatryan, the former first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, said in an interview with "Factinfo," responding to Pashinyan’s statements today.

It should be noted that Nikol Pashinyan stated during today’s session of the parliamentary investigative committee that everything done for the army was based on their requests. He specifically said, "As the political authority, I set a clear task for the army—tell me what you need, and you will have it. They said a Su-30 is needed; can you imagine? An ultra-modern aircraft. I said, if needed, you will have it. What else is needed? Promotions? You will have them. Medals? You will have them. Money? You will have it. Food? You will have it."

“When Pashinyan says that the army has not been denied anything it wanted, he should be reminded of several episodes. For example, the army needed funds, and it requested them, but he did not provide them. Moreover, there were professional and detailed justifications as to why money was needed and what specific purposes it would serve, yet it was never transferred to the army,” said Khachatryan.

According to Tiran Khachatryan, this government has done only what it wanted or deemed appropriate for the army, not more. “The justification in general has been a priority issue, particularly during my tenure at the Ministry of Defense. However, I repeat, none of the justifications presented have received any kind of solution from Pashinyan. What is he talking about…?”

Commenting on the decision to purchase unusable Su-30s under Pashinyan’s government, Tiran Khachatryan noted that there were requests at that time when this government decided to procure Su-30s. “Who made those requests and what justifications were given for the army to acquire Su-30s, there is a criminal case ongoing regarding this issue. I myself am also passing through this case as a witness, so at this point, I cannot provide details regarding this issue. The criminal case was opened after the well-known press conference of Lieutenant General Movses Hakobyan.”

Regarding the military personnel requesting medals and promotions from Pashinyan, Tiran Khachatryan suggested that perhaps those with whom Pashinyan had special friendships in the army asked him for medals and promotions, and he did not refuse, he gave them.

It is worth mentioning that the former first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Lieutenant General Tiran Khachatryan, was not awarded the title of National Hero of Armenia, granted on October 22, 2020, by Pashinyan's proposal and the decree of former President Armen Sarkissian, during the hottest days of the 44-day war. In an interview with "Factinfo," Tiran Khachatryan elaborated that he has not received the National Hero medal from anyone; it remains in the Ministry of Defense to this day. "Have I taken the title they awarded me to return it, or has someone given it to me so I would know to whom I should return it?" he responded when asked why he has not returned the title and medal awarded to him by the capitulatory government.

Additionally, today Pashinyan stated that the opportunity to avoid war may have been the renunciation of the national vision that does not see Artsakh outside of Azerbaijan's framework. According to Pashinyan, this demand was posed by Azerbaijan. Thus, it seems that a person who works as a Prime Minister, in essence, has accepted that the war was necessary for him to gain a legitimate right to renounce the right of self-determination of Artsakh.