Past daily of Armenia writes as follows, in particular: Recently, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, made a statement reflecting on the electoral processes that occurred and the latest domestic political developments in Armenia; in particular, the petition to deprive the leader of the [opposition] Prosperous Armenia Party,

MP candidate Gagik Tsarukyan of immunity. In his speech, the high-ranking Russian official noted that administrative resources were actively used, attacks were recorded during the [parliamentary] elections [in Armenia on June 7], which does not correspond to the [Armenian] authorities' statements about the protection of democracy.

He added that the West's interference in the election campaign was unprecedented, and that the Western side views Armenia only as a tool in the fight against Russia, aiming to clear the political field of forces advocating healthy relations between Moscow and Yerevan. Medvedev also emphasized that the severance of ties formed with Russia will inevitably lead to grave consequences for ordinary citizens of Armenia.

This means that the official assessments of the domestic political situation in Armenia coming from Moscow have acquired a pronouncedly harsh tone. Russia is no longer limited to diplomatically soft wording and open text, but is making direct statements without any disguise regarding the policy adopted by Yerevan.

One of the main reasons for this reaction of the Russian side is the process initiated against Gagik Tsarukyan, including in connection with the initiative to deprive him of immunity, which is viewed as a new wave of illegal political persecution being carried out against representatives of the opposition field.

Considering that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not congratulate [Armenian PM] Nikol Pashinyan in connection with “victory” in the [parliamentary] elections, after which the assessments of Russian high-ranking officials and the political elite began to take on a sharper and more uncompromising tone, it can be assumed that Moscow is planning new and tougher demarches against Yerevan.

Such a style of statements and a sharp hardening of rhetoric by [Russian] official circles clearly indicate that in the near future more irreversible points may be recorded in Armenian-Russian relations, and the current crisis between the two countries has reached a border line beyond which the processes will become completely unpredictable.