The 2018 Velvet Revolution in Armenia marked a turning point in the country’s political development. Russia’s reactions have played a particularly significant role. Armenia has long been a close ally of Russia in the South Caucasus, remaining a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while in 2024 it froze its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin was notably the first world leader to congratulate Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the revolution—despite the fact that Russia’s 2015 National Security Strategy identified “color revolutions” as a major security threat.

Dr. Israyelyan’s research examines Russia’s responses to Armenia’s revolution in retrospect, highlighting the key factors that shaped or influenced Moscow’s stance. Drawing on mixed-method research, he develops and evaluates several hypotheses, presenting both supporting evidence and contradictions for each.

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