Armenian leader bets on polls sooner rather than later

Significance

He will resign in late April to open the way for an election but intends to remain in an interim capacity until the June 20 polls.

Impacts

• Pashinyan is increasingly the supplicant in relations with Moscow, asking for vaccines and economic support.
• Armenian fears will increase after the Azerbaijani president's threat to seize an agreed transit corridor by force 'if need be'.
• The Karabakh Armenian leadership can expect turmoil as its president, Arayik Harutyunian, takes the blame for the military catastrophe.