Armenian intelligence chief defends Pashinyan's war warning as 'logical'

Armenia’s foreign intelligence chief Kristinne Grigoryan on Wednesday defended Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent warning that a devastating war could erupt in September if his Civil Contract party fails to secure a majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Speaking at a parliament session, Grigoryan described Pashinyan’s remarks as “very logical”, arguing that undermining the foundations of Armenia’s peace architecture would inevitably increase the risk of renewed conflict.

Her comments came in response to opposition Hayastan faction MP Armenuhi Kyureghyan, who pressed whether the prime minister’s statement was based on intelligence assessments. Grigoryan clarified that the warning was not drawn from intelligence data but rather from political reasoning. “If the competing forces question the cornerstones of peace during the pre-election period, it implies that peace will collapse,” she argued.

The opposition MP dismissed the explanation, insisting the prime minister’s remarks were politically expedient. “We know such statements are made as it suits them, without any logical basis,” Kyureghyan said.

Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan, in turn, asked Grigoryan whether Armenia’s risk of war would rise if opposition forces came to power and pursued their stated foreign policy.

“The likelihood of war would rise. Such statements erode the foundations of peace and drag the country back into conflict, with all ensuing consequences, including the risk of military aggression,” she responded.