Analyst: Aliyev emboldened by Pashinyan's remarks

Political analyst Suren Surenyants has commented on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s address at the UN General Assembly, noting that the Azerbaijani leader once again accused Armenia of “ethnic cleansing, war crimes and ignoring peace plans.”

In a social media post on Saturday, he said Aliyev even declared that Armenia had capitulated and again used the term “Zangezur Corridor”, citing alleged Washington agreements.

He stated that the Azerbaijani president seeks to portray Armenia’s as “defeated and guilty” abroad while framing developments as a “final victory” at home to maintain domestic mobilization.

Surenyants added that Aliyev is likely emboldened by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent remarks, in which the Armenian leader said that claims he had dragged Armenia into war were unfounded, as Armenian soldiers had already been deployed outside sovereign Armenian territory prior to 2018.

“In effect, Pashinyan promotes narratives on international platforms that Aliyev subsequently amplifies from the UN podium,” Surenyants wrote.

He also criticized the Armenian government’s plan to cut defense spending by more than 15 percent, calling it a security risk and a signal of weakness internationally. “Peace is not built on illusions or wishful thinking,” Surenyants stated. “It requires balance of power, diplomacy and international guarantees. Pashinyan’s policy does not bring peace, but new risks for Armenia’s security.”