Armen Ashotyan, vice-chair of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA), currently under house arrest, has reiterated that recent events in and around Armenia confirm the deep connection between domestic and foreign political processes — something he has long argued.

According to Ashotyan, unlike other countries where foreign policy stems from domestic priorities, in Armenia the reverse is true: internal politics derive from foreign agendas. He attributes this to what he calls the ruling regime’s status as an “external proxy” and its function as an “occupational administration.”

Referencing EU Commissioner Kaja Kallas’s recent visit to Yerevan, Ashotyan pointed to the discussed Black Sea Strategy — a European Union document he says reflects Armenia’s role in anti-Russian geopolitical schemes. He argues that Armenia’s inclusion signals a deep and long-term geopolitical pivot, accompanied by a betrayal of national interests.

He warns that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent political maneuvers, while often linked to Erdoğan, are part of broader processes dictated by the EU’s strategic aims in the South Caucasus. Ashotyan says the EU’s Black Sea Strategy, proposed on May 28, portrays Armenia as a vital corridor between Russia and Iran, bypassing both.

The document, he stresses, centers on Armenia-Azerbaijan peace, normalization with Turkey, and regional connectivity — without even mentioning other regional conflicts like Cyprus, Transnistria, or the Georgian breakaway regions. This omission, he claims, shows a calculated focus on Armenia as a linchpin for EU interests.

Ashotyan accuses Pashinyan of consenting to this strategy in exchange for EU support. He argues that this has enabled domestic repression — attacks on the Armenian Church, businessman Samvel Karapetyan, clerics, and political opponents — while the EU turns a blind eye, even as it criticizes authoritarianism elsewhere.

He contends that in today’s Armenia, any dissenting voice will be labeled “pro-Russian” and sidelined. According to him, democracy is dead, and the upcoming parliamentary elections will be a farce. Pashinyan, he predicts, will eliminate opponents, “score goals by hand,” and manipulate the rules with help from compliant institutions.

“Shout all you want after the match, the referees won’t care,” he says. The only viable path forward, Ashotyan insists, is a combined push through a vote of no confidence and mass street mobilization — there is, in his words, “no other scenario.”

He concludes by urging opposition forces to set aside personal ambitions and accept this reality for any chance of success.

On July 10, parallel to searches at the homes of ARF Armenia members Gegham Manukyan and Vahagn Matinyan, law enforcement searched the home of Gevorg Muradyan, a member of the Yeghvard local council and chair of the ARF Youth Union Central Committee. ARF Yerevan City Committee member Arsen Martoyan was taken in. Martoyan and Taron Manukyan have been arrested.