Yerevan /Mediamax/. Head of the German Council on Foreign Relations’ (DGAP) program on International Order and Democracy Stefan Meister believes that Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is "taking a gamble” with his provocations towards Moscow.

These words of the German expert are quoted in “Why Armenia can’t Free itself from Moscow” article published in Spiegel.

“He is signaling to us: I’m ready to move away from Moscow,” says Meister. But the analyst also notes that the West will not be prepared to offer much help to Armenia either, at least not in the form of military assistance. Meister stressed that the European Union did send a 100-strong civilian observer mission to the conflict area this year at an astonishing speed, but there is no consensus for an armed EU peacekeeping mission.

“And Russia will punish Pashinyan at some point if he actually takes steps to break Armenia free from its grip,” Meister said, adding that it is not only militarily that Moscow has the greatest leverage, it also continues to control essential infrastructure and industries in Armenia.

Stefan Meister also noted that since the launch of war in Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Turkey have become even more important for Moscow, because Russia needs alternative trade routes.

“It is a scenario in which Armenia has become the victim of larger interests,” he noted.