ArmInfo. Although the latest major Russian-American economic deal does not directly affect Armenia, it is a good reason for the Armenian side to draw conclusions. This is stated in a message from Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan from the Kentron Penitentiary, published on his Facebook page.
The politician noted that one should never find oneself at the center of a clash of interests between major powers. According to him, for small states, this always ends in losses, and sometimes even tragedies.
"This is precisely what my team and I have been warning about in recent years. The presidents of the United States and Russia protect the economic interests of their countries, and therefore the interests of their peoples, the well-being of their citizens. There is no such thing as a pro-Western or pro-Russian economy; I have said this many times over the past year when I saw that problems were being artificially created for our economy. Today, our agriculture and our exporters are facing a serious problem: many will not survive and will simply go bankrupt. And all this is because of one problem that shouldn't have existed. In exchange for pleasant but unrealistic promises, we've been faced with a serious problem that affects the well-being of hundreds of thousands of our citizens. Why? What led us to this artificially created problem?" he asked.
Tsarukyan noted that he knows full well how difficult it is to find a market and maintain it. He added that this requires years of hard work and dedication.
"The problem is that a market can be lost due to one mistake, in one day. Another misconception is that as soon as the problem with Russia is resolved, we'll immediately resume exporting our products, our agricultural produce. I assure you that when that day comes, many will find that their place has already been taken by others—by products from other countries. I know, and you know, which country we're talking about." "Economic life never stops, and the other side's mistakes are always exploited. The longer this situation continues, the greater the losses we will incur," the PAP leader added.
According to him, economies develop thanks to sound economic policies, and it is impossible to ensure sustainable economic development by constantly increasing foreign debt.
"Economics develop when they build, create, and invest. An economy doesn't develop by trying to take away, shut down, seal off existing businesses, leaving thousands of families jobless and without a livelihood. Incidentally, this isn't just about the businesses I own. When the wrong rules are introduced into the economy, it can affect everyone. Our small Armenia, thanks to its hardworking, creative people, has good opportunities for economic development. We have good opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, the US, Europe, China, our neighbors, and many others." "But we can also put ourselves in a difficult situation," Tsarukyan concluded.
As a reminder, according to the indictment, Gagik Tsarukyan is accused of committing crimes under several articles of the Criminal Code related to fraud, extortion, and money laundering. Sedrak Arustamyan, head of the Multi Group concern, and seven other individuals are also charged in this case.
The Investigative Committee believes that Tsarukyan and other individuals falsified customs declarations and documents, resulting in significant damage to the state or the entities involved (including instances of theft of property worth approximately 8.1 billion drams). On July 7, 2026, a Yerevan court ordered Gagik Tsarukyan to be remanded in custody for two months. The politician's defense attempted to appeal this decision.
In October 2026, the Compulsory Enforcement Service of Armenia, based on decisions of the Anti-Corruption Court, imposed a large-scale seizure of property and assets associated with Tsarukyan. Approximately 29 real estate properties, 33 vehicles, and 488 units of movable property were seized. A separate ban on changes in ownership was imposed on Tsarukyan's properties in the coastal area of Lake Sevan. Shares in 27 different companies owned by Tsarukyan himself, as well as the shares and stocks of 40 legal entities associated with him, were also seized.
