During a briefing on May 5, the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Alen Simonyan, made a controversial remark regarding Armenia-Russia relations.

Axar.az reports commenting on the domestic political climate and the approval rating of the ruling “Civil Contract” party, Simonyan claimed that “large sums of money are being spent from outside.”

When prompted by journalists, he confirmed he meant “from the northern neighbor” — Russia. According to Simonyan, Armenia is being subjected to a hybrid war that is periodically escalated, involving certain Russian experts with Armenian surnames who attempt to “change the government,” announce rallies, and so on.