Arman Tatoyan says Pashinyan using war fears for political gain ahead of elections

Armenian opposition figure and ex-ombudsman Arman Tatoyan on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of exploiting fears of renewed conflict for political gain ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.

Speaking at a press conference, Tatoyan, the leader of the Wings of Unity political initiative and a candidate for prime minister, pointed to an assessment by Armenia’s Foreign Intelligence Service indicating that a military escalation in 2026 is unlikely. He said this contradicted Pashinyan’s repeated public warnings about the risk of war.

Pashinyan has recently accused opposition forces of seeking to drag the country into a new war, a claim Tatoyan rejected as “demagoguery” that benefits Armenia’s adversaries.

Tatoyan also stated that the ruling Civil Contract party had withheld information about Azerbaijani incursions from the public, and said his movement would soon present a policy platform focused on achieving “sustainable peace”, strengthening national security and reforming the military.

He outlined plans to deepen cooperation with international partners in both Western and Eastern blocs, with particular emphasis on ties with the United States and France.

Criticizing the government’s broader strategy, Tatoyan said Armenia had failed to establish effective deterrence mechanisms, attributing this to a lack of political will and strategic clarity.

He also took aim at proposed constitutional changes, suggesting they were driven by external pressure and reflected the government’s policy shortcomings.