On May 5, during a briefing with journalists, Alen Simonyan, Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, made several controversial statements regarding Armenian-Russian relations, internal political processes, and ongoing border delimitation with Azerbaijan.
Speaking about the domestic political situation and the rating of the ruling Civil Contract party, Simonyan claimed that “a lot of money is being spent from outside,” specifying under journalistic prompting that it was from the “northern neighbor,” meaning Russia. He accused certain Russian experts of Armenian descent of participating in a hybrid war aimed at destabilizing Armenia, organizing rallies, and attempting to overthrow the government—a campaign he said began in 2020 and will intensify ahead of the 2026 elections. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that these efforts would fail and only boost Civil Contract’s support.
When asked why Russia allegedly finds Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan undesirable, Simonyan feigned surprise, saying, “We are told the opposite.” He attributed the hybrid war to external dissatisfaction with Armenia’s growing independence and refusal to remain subordinate to a larger power. Simonyan criticized the expectation that Armenia should vote as others dictate in the UN and on international platforms, arguing that a more independent Armenia has become less controllable.
Simonyan also controversially labeled Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan, as having “the status of a Russian spy,” though he admitted having no evidence and called it a “purely political statement.” He justified this assertion by claiming Kocharyan’s rhetoric consistently mirrors that of Russian officials, as do statements from his political allies. Simonyan cited as an example the pro-Russian stance of the newly elected mayor of Gyumri, Vardan Ghukasyan, who advocated for Armenia’s accession to the Russia-Belarus Union State.
When journalists drew a parallel between Pashinyan’s positions and those of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Simonyan rejected the comparison, insisting their statements do not coincide, citing Baku’s ongoing criticism of Yerevan. He angrily challenged journalists to name one instance where Armenia ceded a “corridor,” implying none exists.