In an interview with Panorama.am on Tuesday, political analyst Suren Surenyants asserted that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's policies were "provocative" and directly responsible for the loss of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Surenyants criticized Pashinyan for stalling the peace process before the 2020 war, calling this inaction a "gift" to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who he said had long sought a war. While the 2020 war weakened Armenia, Surenyants argued that the loss of Artsakh was not inevitable, noting that the November 9, 2020, ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia provided a framework for the Armenian population to remain. "Even after the territorial losses, and despite the Azerbaijani occupation of Shushi and Hadrut, there was still a chance to preserve the Armenian identity of Artsakh," he said, stating that continued negotiations within that framework were required.