It is unfortunate that Armenia persistently ignores the anti-Russian orientation of a number of events. The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Maria Zakharova, stated this at a press briefing Wednesday—and answering the question about the preparations for Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan's meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday in Brussels, as well as NATO’s possible expansion toward the South Caucasus.

Zakharova noted that this topic was discussed in detail in her interview given to Zvezda television, but she considers it necessary to continue.

"In addition, I can say that it is unfortunate that Yerevan persistently ignores the anti-Russian orientation of such events, their absolute concentration against the interests of the majority of countries in the region, they do not correspond to the goals of achieving stability and peace in the South Caucasus, and most importantly, the lack of examples of how those who now promise everything to Yerevan have done it somewhere before. There are simply no such examples. But there are examples to the opposite. When they promised not less, but even more, and led to the absolute collapse of the country's economy, the aggravation of public and social problems. There have been many examples of this.

And as for US and NATO plans in the region, we are based on real facts. Let me just remind that since April 1, Pentagon instructors are in the capital of Armenia. They came to share American military propaganda methods. NATO Secretary General [Jens] Stoltenberg visited Armenia on March 19. During this visit, he again repeated anti-Russian narratives, as they say; that is, ideologies.

Last September, the Eagle Partner military exercises were held in Armenia, with the participation of the USA. What is that? All those events are anti-Russian events and aim to destabilize the situation in the region.

Armenia, the official leadership of Armenia, really has the experience of solving the problems of the intra-regional situation with its own resources and the resources of neighboring countries. There is a really positive experience, we should give it its due.

As soon as the instructors, advisors, politicians from the EU begin to interfere, and this is not the EU, the EU only serves as a cover, this is NATO, problems immediately begin for Yerevan, which are then attributed to those with whom they have refused to communicate: neighbors, participants of international settlement mechanisms, etc.

All free countries, everyone can make their own choice. The question is different: if this decision is made, then one must take accountability for it, and then not blame others: the CSTO, Russia, bad weather, and so on," said the Russian MFA official representative.