Armenia's second president, Robert Kocharyan, has said in an interview with four media outlets that it is naive to believe Europe can resolve any security issue in Armenia.

"Thinking that Europe can resolve any security issue in Armenia is naive. There’s no such thing," he stated, as reported by Panorama.am .

According to him, French President Emmanuel Macron may make a pleasant statement that cheers Armenians, maybe even embrace Armenia's Prime Minister—since he generally likes hugging—and then that will be the end of it.

"Currently, there are three countries that can play a role on the ground in this region: Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Now, which country is closer to us culturally, which has stronger economic ties with us, has historical depth and scale, and possesses the greatest economic and military potential? These questions have no alternative answers," Kocharyan said.

He also emphasized the need for a complementary foreign policy.

"This is not a situation where we have many alternatives. Discussions about Europe are pointless—Europe doesn't even respond. Their only purpose is to harm Russia. That’s not strategy; that’s becoming a tool in someone else’s hands. Is there another country more interested in Armenia than any other?" he asked.

Kocharyan also said that Armenia should avoid escalating tensions with Turkey, but also not succumb to blackmail. According to him, it’s vital to have a partner capable of restraining Turkey’s ambitions towards Armenia, and that role can only be fulfilled by Russia, as cited by Aravot.am .

He underscored that Armenia must think about comprehensive security and, in this context, reaffirm its partnerships with Russia and Iran.

"If there’s another country, let me know. The U.S. is now attempting to reposition itself in international affairs—from hegemon to a different role. The U.S. definitely won’t engage in the South Caucasus. We must focus on securing our safety comprehensively. We must restore allied ties with Russia and include Iran, which is also a friendly nation," he said.

Addressing claims that Russia hasn’t protected Armenia, Kocharian noted that Armenia-Russia relations were not bad from 1991 until recent years.

"How did it happen that Russia was a good partner since 1991 but suddenly got worse? Who stopped the 2020 war? I know how difficult that was. On October 18, 2020, who offered to stop the war? We refused. Armenia's Prime Minister said, ‘We’ll fight so they don’t call me a traitor.’ And now people blame Russia for that?" Kocharyan said.

He emphasized that these issues shouldn’t have been solved through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), but rather through bilateral Armenia-Russia relations.

Kocharyan also responded to claims that he allegedly attempted to integrate Armenia into the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

"The Union State was formed in 1999. I served as president until 2008. Over those nine years, there was never any talk of joining that union with me. That never happened, at least not during that time," he said.