Poll conducted shortly after Moscow brokered Nagorno-Karabakh truce, reveals around 85% of Armenians see Russia in positive light

A survey commissioned by Russian broadcaster Sputnik Radio has revealed that the vast majority (84 percent) of Armenians now have a good attitude toward Russia, with 85 percent believing their northern neighbor to be an ally.

The research comes after some Armenians, particularly in the Western diaspora, revealed their displeasure toward the Kremlin, following Russia's decision not to deploy its troops in Nagorno-Karabakh during the recent war against Azerbaijan.

As members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Moscow and Yerevan are officially allies, and have a pact to protect each other. However, as Nagorno-Karabakh is not recognised as Armenian territory, there was no legal obligation for Russia to join in. However, the Kremlin eventually came to Armenia's aid on November 9, brokering a peace deal after it became evident that Azerbaijan would be victorious.

Conducted by MPG, the representative of Gallup in Armenia, the survey found that 62.3 percent believe Russia to be a friendly country, followed by France (39.9 percent) and Iran (6.4 percent). It also discovered that 79.6 percent of Armenians are willing to accept military and political assistance from Moscow.

On October 31, a month after the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh began, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for assistance. In response, Moscow reiterated its commitment to protecting Armenian land, but told him it was not willing to help Yerevan in the territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

On November 9, Russia oversaw a ceasefire between Yerevan and Baku, which determined that Azerbaijan could keep the areas of Nagorno-Karabakh they regained control of during the conflict. Armenia has also agreed to withdraw from nearby regions in the upcoming weeks. Furthermore, Russian peacekeeping troops will be sent to the contact line. The Russia-brokered agreement saved the Armenians from almost guaranteed heavy losses, with Pashinyan himself admitting that the situation was dire.

The conflict between Yerevan and Baku in Nagorno-Karabakh escalated on September 27. The dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia is decades old, with both countries believing they have legitimate claims to the territory. The region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but is primarily populated by ethnic Armenians. Baku considers the enclave to be illegally occupied by Yerevan.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!