Moscow hopes Armenia to have ‘courage’ to confront U.S. blackmail and pressure: Russian deputy FM

Moscow hopes Armenia’s new leadership will have the ‘courage’ to combat the blackmail and pressures of the U.S. side, deputy foreign minister of Russia Grigory Karasin said in an interview to Russian RIA Novosti.

He reminded the visit of the U.S. President’s assitant for national security affairs John Bolton to Yerevan and his statement that American weapons are better than Russian. Bolton also advised Armenia to get rid of “historic template” in its international relations.

“On the background of radical changes in Armenia, Washington’s interference in the country’s domestic and foreign affairs is becoming more tactless,” Karasin said.

The diplomat said that Bolton tactlessly called the historic experience of the Armenian people as “historic template” and ordered Armenia to buy American weapon and join the anti-Iranian sanctions.

“If the public side of the Armenian-American relations is so, one can only imagine what kind of “arm twisting” takes place backstage,” Karasin said.

“We hope that the current leadership of Armenia which has got the necessary mandate at the elections will have the ‘courage’ to confront the external blackmail and pressure, to protect its sovereignty and right to make decisions on its own, in accordance with its national interests,” the Russian deputy minister said.