Pashinyan’s passion for pathological lying has long been known. Unfortunately, people have grown accustomed to it: some with frustration, others with resentment. Still, lying during an official meeting with Vladimir Putin goes beyond political ethics — it reflects a lack of basic dignity and regard for reputation. This affects not only the individual speaking, but also the country he represents and the people behind whom he hides.

Существует устойчивое представление, будто в армянской политике последних двух десятилетий были, по меньшей мере, два разных периода — до 2018 года и после. Один связывают с именем Сержа Саргсяна, другой — с именем Никола Пашиняна. Первый — «старая система», второй — «революционное обновление». Однако если отвлечься от лозунгов, от пафоса уличных выступлений и от официальных речей, то картина вырисовывается куда менее контрастной и куда более тревожной.

Nikol Pashinyan has recently been offering society a rather peculiar formula of political choice: either him or war.

What kind of peace is this, when each new day since the war has brought fresh concessions? This is not independence, but the steady contraction of sovereign space - despite Nikol Pashinyan’s attempts to claim otherwise. This is not “salvation from the scaffold,” as the prime minister asserts; it is a tightening noose - slow, incremental, and ultimately suffocating for Armenia.

Although the political landscape in Armenia and the motives of its key actors are no secret to either experts or the politically aware public, the information campaign against Robert Kocharyan and his Armenia Alliance ahead of the elections may at first appear to be routine pre-election polemics. It seemed like a standard competition in which parties exchange accusations and attempt to strengthen their positions.