Armenian Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan expressed skepticism over Russia’s potential role as a mediator in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, citing past disappointments in Moscow’s handling of regional security issues.

Speaking at a press briefing on February 11, Simonyan stated that while Armenia is open to discussing any concrete mediation proposal, he considers Russian involvement unlikely.

“The experience of the past has left bad memories. After all, there are still unresolved issues, for example, Russia’s position both within the CSTO and the Armenia-Russia interstate treaty regarding the Azerbaijani troops who invaded Armenia,” he said.

Simonyan criticized Russia’s lack of response to Azerbaijan’s incursions into Armenian territory, noting that Moscow failed to take action or even provide a political assessment.

“Instead, they reacted by saying that the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is not demarcated, simply finding a pretext to avoid the issue,” he added.

Simonyan also referenced the November 9, 2020, trilateral statement, questioning Russia’s failure to protect Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Russian peacekeepers were supposed to protect the Armenian people. Where are the Russian peacekeepers now, and where are the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh?” he asked.

Commenting on Moscow’s recent statements about its willingness to mediate, Simonyan noted that multiple countries have expressed interest in facilitating the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.

“Does Azerbaijan also think that only Russia can? So we and Azerbaijan have exhausted all possible means? Offers are being made from various places. All countries that have been or are still more or less engaged are making that offer,” he said.

Simonyan's remarks underscore Armenia's shifting approach to seeking alternative mediation channels to resolve its ongoing disputes with Azerbaijan.