'I’ll crush you': Pashinyan on debates with former Armenian presidents
Pashinyan on debates with ex-presidents
Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan told parliament that he sees no reason to continue the Karabakh movement:
“I want to state plainly, clearly, and without hesitation that, in my view, we should not continue the Karabakh movement,” he said.
He stressed that this was not just his personal stance but the official position of the Republic of Armenia — and added that if the people disagreed, he would resign as prime minister.
The opposition erupted in response, claiming that the decision to launch the Karabakh movement was made by the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, not Pashinyan — and therefore he had no right to annul it.
Gegam Manukyan, an MP from the “Hayastan” bloc, reminded Pashinyan: “The Armenian people made a different decision in 2021, which you failed to deliver.” He referred to the ruling party’s 2021 campaign platform, which listed the “de-occupation of settlements in the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region” as a negotiating priority.
As the debate turned to possible scenarios for resolving the conflict, Pashinyan once again challenged former presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan to a public debate — saying they refuse because “they know I’ll crush them.”
The ex-presidents’ offices issued sharp replies — one going so far as to suggest that the prime minister should instead “debate with the orderlies of the nearest psychiatric clinic.”
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How it all started
In December 2024, Nikol Pashinyan posted a series of comments on social media addressing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. He claimed that since the 1994 ceasefire, negotiations had focused solely on “the return of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.” The statement sparked a wave of criticism, particularly from allies and party members of Armenia’s former leaders, who strongly rejected the claim.
In response, Pashinyan publicly challenged the former presidents to a live debate on the issue. All three — Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, and Serzh Sargsyan — declined.
Levon Ter-Petrosyan countered with a proposal to publish all documents related to the Karabakh negotiations.
However, Pashinyan replied that this could not yet be done, as the inventory process was incomplete and the documents had been received in a fragmented state.
‘They pinned their own surrender on me‘”‘
Opposition parliamentary factions I Have Honour and Hayastan, formally led by former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan, have been intensifying their criticism of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in recent days over the finalisation of the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace treaty. They argue that only Armenia made concessions, while no reciprocal compromise was offered by Azerbaijan.
Some opposition figures have gone so far as to describe the deal as a “surrender” or even a “second surrender.”
Pashinyan addressed the accusation during a government Q&A session in parliament:
“The number one capitulator [referring to Serzh Sargsyan] took the process to the point where there was no other way out than what he now calls ‘capitulation’. What else can they do but shift the blame for that surrender onto others — namely me? That’s exactly why I proposed a live debate.”
“If you’ve got nothing to debate, stay quiet”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly drew attention to the fact that Armenia’s former leaders — whom he mockingly called the “three titans of thought” — continue to refuse his offer of a public debate:
“They say there’s nothing to debate with me. And then they send their relatives — children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, in-laws — to hold press conferences. If there’s nothing to debate, then sit down and don’t move, shut up. But if you want to argue, let’s talk face to face. I assure you, I’ll smear you against the wall and dig up the remains of your political corpse. That goes for all three. I won’t be debating — I’ll crush you.”
The Armenian prime minister is convinced the ex-presidents know how such a debate would end, which is why they’re refusing to accept the challenge.
Reactions to Pashinyan’s remarks
Arman Musinyan, spokesperson for Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, wrote:
“Remember, he’ll bite, cry, kick, scream and threaten to appeal to higher authorities — doing everything we’ve come to expect from him, and more. But he will never publish the official plans of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Karabakh settlement, nor Armenia’s official responses — including the 2019 plan he rejected. Calm down, it’s an old habit.”
Bagrat Mikoyan, chief of staff to former president Robert Kocharyan, said:
“From the final part of his speech, it’s clear he has a manic, unfulfilled craving for debate. The best solution would be a debate with the orderlies of the nearest psychiatric clinic. And in general, one shouldn’t mix vodka with medication.”
A statement from the office of third president Serzh Sargsyan added:
“Of all the judgments of his disastrous rule, it’s the term ‘capitulator’ that most disturbs his mental state — now a threat to national security. […]
His psychological instability is a mirror of the military-political imbalance between Armenia and Azerbaijan, caused by him. […]
Instead of theatrical speeches, he could overcome his fears and publish all negotiation documents up to 27 September 2020. There’s no point negotiating — let alone debating — with someone who’s fallen below the acceptable threshold.”
