On September 4, TASS reported that an unnamed diplomatic source said Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statements about Russia in an interview with Italian media are unacceptable in tone, and Moscow is extremely dissatisfied with them. 

"Moscow is extremely dissatisfied with the latest public statements of the Armenian leadership, including the statements of the Armenian Prime Minister in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and the Armenian Foreign Ministry's commentary of August 31. They regard them as unacceptable in tone and content, aiming at shifting the responsibility for their own miscalculations and mistakes onto Russia," the source said.

"They are trying to artificially push Russia out of the South Caucasus, using Yerevan as a means of realizing this goal. Russia, as Armenia's closest neighbor and friend, does not intend to leave the region. However, this should be a two-way street: Armenia should not become a tool of the West to push Russia out either," the source noted.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also commented on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks during an interview with Italian media.

"A lot has been said by the Armenian Prime Minister in recent days. Summarizing all these statements we can say that one should be able to take responsibility for one's own actions, and not look for the guilty, doing it endlessly and on every occasion. One should bear his own responsibility and not shift the blame to someone else. This is the difference between a politician, a statesman and a transitory person who does not think about the interests of the country," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the weekly briefing.

Notably, the head of the Armenian government noted in the interview, in particular, the possibility of Russia's alienation from the South Caucasus.