Russia’s not unprecedented spite.

 Vaհe H Apelian

 

Armenia and Russia are experiencing a significant diplomatic rift, with Yerevan actively pursuing diversification and peaceful relations with the rest of the nations, including Turkey and Azerbaijan. A segment of the Armenians, in and out of Armenia, even in the United States, finds Armenia’s pursuit of diversification detrimental to Armenia as it distances Armenia from Russia, which is exerting enormous diplomatic pressure on Armenia, at the highest level. 

Let us be mindful of the following:

Russia is 575 times larger than Armenia in terms of territory. Russia covers about 17.1 million square kilometers, while Armenia spans 29,743 square kilometers.

Russia has 47 times more population than Armenia. The population of Russia is approximately 142.6 million to 143.5 million people, and the population of Armenia is roughly 3.0 million to 3.1 million people.

Russia GDP per Capita is approximately $15,000 to $18,500). Armenia’s GDP per Capita is approximately $8,500 to $10,400. That is to say, the average Russian citizen's income is twice that of an average Armenian citizen. 

The Russian economy is roughly 85 to 90 times larger than Armenia's economy. Russia ranks among the top 10 largest economies in the world. 

And finally……

Russia's military strength vastly dwarfs Armenia's across every measurable category, including active manpower, defense spending, and nuclear capability.

In spite of its superiority in every conceivable characteristic and criteria, the Russian president Putin acted pettily and did not and has not congratulated the citizens of Armenia electing their PM in an orderly, transparent, democratic election. The person the citizens of Armenia elected, we all know, happened to be Nikol Pashinyan for the third time.

Armenia has repeatedly said that it has no intend to hurt Russian interests in any way, but is looking toward venues more favorable to its own interests. 

Why would Russia bring its whole diplomatic weight upon Armenia when logic dictates Armenia is not capable to hurt Russia in any way and has no intend to do so? Armenia after all, hosts the largest Russian military bases in the Caucasus. The Russian 102nd military base, has the military capacity and capability to overrun Armenia’s military and occupy Yerevan at any moment, if Russia chooses to do so in spite of understandable ramifications, and institute a government of its choosing in Armenia. 

Putin has not congratulated Armenia electing the PM, simply because Russia’s historic imperial mind is hurt. How dare the smallest republic in the Caucasus pursue its own policy and not at the discretion of Russia.

I am reminded of Kristapor Mikayelian who wrote: 

“Moving forward, always faithful to its spirit of destruction, Russia, as in the past, as well as today, is a representation of a large-scale arena of general persecution, general destruction and violence. There was not a nation left in Russia that was not oppressed, there was not a people left that was not suffocated, there was no word, opinion, right, law - even proclaimed from the imperial throne - that was not violated. It is a terrible stage of rulers and slaves, predators and tyrants, spies and spiers, poisoned by the choices of mutual grudge and hatred. Russia competes with Turkey in all spheres of state life, equally successful in the negative, as well as in the positive. And the unfortunate Armenian is destined to live, to claim the right to see the light of day, on the borders of those two brutal tyrants, "between the devil and the deep blue sea", as the English say.”

Russia’s not unprecedented spite