Armenia Protests Intensify as Thousands Demand Prime Minister's Resignation

Thousands of protesters marched in Yerevan, Armenia, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The demonstrations were sparked by the government's decision to hand over control of border villages to Azerbaijan, a longtime rival.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The latest demonstrations were sparked by the government's decision to hand over control of border villages to Azerbaijan, a longtime rival.

The protests come amid escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have fought two wars since the Soviet Union collapsed. In April, Armenia announced it would return villages to Azerbaijan, a move that sparked outrage among its citizens.

Led by a senior cleric in Armenia's church, protesters marched approximately 100 miles from villages near the border with Azerbaijan to Yerevan, where they gathered in Republic Square. Videos shared on social media showed a massive crowd waving Armenian flags.

The demonstrators blamed Pashinyan for the loss of Armenian territory and gave him one hour to resign. If their demands were not met, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan urged protesters to engage in "peaceful acts of disobedience."

Meanwhile, Pashinyan visited Moscow Wednesday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting took place amid spiraling tensions between the estranged allies. The Armenian leader did not attend Putin's inauguration the previous day, which marked the beginning of his fifth term.

According to Russian state news agency Tass, Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said the two leaders agreed on the withdrawal of Russian forces from some Armenian regions.

In brief remarks, Putin acknowledged "some issues concerning security in the region," while Pashinyan noted that "certain issues have piled up since then."

Armenia's ties with Russia, its longtime sponsor and ally, have been strained since the Azerbaijani military campaign in September, which reclaimed the Karabakh region from three decades of ethnic Armenian rule.

Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh of failing to stop the Azerbaijani onslaught. Moscow, however, argued that its troops did not have a mandate to intervene.

The Kremlin has expressed anger over Pashinyan's efforts to align Armenia closer with the West and distance it from Russian-led security and economic alliances.

While Pashinyan was in Moscow, Armenia's foreign ministry announced the country would stop paying fees to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-dominated security pact. Armenia had previously suspended its participation, as Pashinyan seeks to strengthen ties with the European Union and NATO.

Despite Armenia's westward shift, Moscow has sought to downplay the differences. Kremlin spokesman Peskov acknowledged problems in bilateral relations but emphasized a willingness to continue dialogue.