Former head of Armenia's NSS: every day we asked Pashinyan to end Karabakh war

Mikayel Hambardzumyan, who served as the head of the Armenian National Security Service until November 8 last year, was not aware of the preparations for the signing of a trilateral statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

He made such a statement in an interview with the Armenian Channel 5.

Hambardzumyan submitted his resignation letter on November 8, that is he did not know that the head of the government was negotiating an end to hostilities. According to him, the prime minister did not inform his country's NSS about the talks with Vladimir Putin and about the Russian leader's proposals.

The ex-head of the NSS stressed that one of the key reasons for his departure was the lack of understanding of the reasons why Pashinyan did nothing to end the war, although both the National Security Service and the Ministry of Defense reported to him on a daily basis about heavy losses of the Armenian side and military failures.

"This is not about an armistice, but about ending the war and starting negotiations. We did not understand what goal the authorities were pursuing not stopping the war," Hambardzumyan explained.

The security official clarified that the head of government was also reported on the need to stop the war on October 19 at an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council. Former Armenian Minister of Defense David Tonoyan also expressed agreement with this point.

"Then head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan reported on the situation, presented the losses and said we are going to be defeated, offering to stop the war. But another decision was made," Ambartsumyan said.