The phone conversation between Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on June 18 has elicited a strong reaction from Russian experts. The main focus has been on the timing of this call, which occurred just a few hours after Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan's visit to France and the signing of an agreement with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu regarding the supply of "Caesar" artillery systems.

Axar.az reports that Russian political analyst Stanislav Tarasov stated in local media that this phone conversation should be viewed in the context of the visit to Yerevan by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma (who was in Yerevan from June 17-19).

"Erdogan's invitation to Pashinyan to visit Turkiye on July 16, on the occasion of Vardavar or the Feast of the Transfiguration, is extremely significant. It was known that Erdogan would congratulate Pashinyan on the upcoming Vardavar, but inviting Pashinyan to Turkiye for this holiday is a very interesting nuance," Tarasov said.

Tarasov also touched upon where Erdogan might receive Pashinyan, questioning whether it would be in Ankara, Istanbul, or the "historic Western Armenia" - Eastern Anatolia.

It is clear that this "approach" is propaganda aimed at disrupting possible agreements between Armenia and Turkiye, and Russian political analysts seem to be panicking and trying to interfere in the process.

Pashinyan's possible visit has also concerned Armenian revanchists influenced by Russia. They believe that if the visit takes place, it will signify Armenia accepting Turkish patronage to distance itself from Russia.

Interestingly, Russian political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov has also acknowledged that Turkiye is Armenia's only pro-European option. According to him, no country that is not neighboring the European Union can integrate into it. The most suitable path for Armenia is through Turkiye.

"If this were a few years ago, I would have ruled out any prospects of relations with Turkiye. But now the situation has changed, and what was once unimaginable has become reality. I do not rule out that European integration will mean restoring relations with Turkiye," he emphasized.