YEREVAN. – The most talked-about topic within international media in recent days is what Russia gave to Ukraine in return for not signing the EU Association Agreement, Haykakan Zhamanak daily reports.

“Ukraine received a $15-billion loan and achieved a 30-percent reduction in the price of the Russian [natural] gas [being supplied to Ukraine]. Ukraine got everything it wanted in return for not signing the EU Association Agreement.     

“What is the difference between [Ukrainian President Viktor] Yanukovych and [Armenian President Serzh] Sargsyan in the given dealings?

“There is a consolidation of pro-European forces in Ukraine, whereas in Armenia, these forces are unable to consolidate.

“But the whole irony is that [capital city] Yerevan turned into a concentration camp during [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s visit to Armenia; mass arrests were made on Yerevan streets.

“The objective was but one: Putin should not hear that at least ten people in Yerevan are against the [Russian-led] Customs Union [CU]; that is, an image was created, by Serzh Sargsyan’s efforts, that he does not encounter any resistance on the road to leading Armenia to the CU       

“But the political logic suggests that it should have been the contrary. To ‘yank’ a lot from Putin, Serzh Sargsyan should have shown that he surmounts a strong resistance. And if there is no resistance, there is nothing to expect from the Russians, either,” Haykakan Zhamanak writes.