It is a well-known fact that during both the 44-day war and the 1-day counter-terrorist operation by the Azerbaijani armed forces against the 'Artsakh' separatists, there was no significant desire among the representatives of the Hay diaspora to go to the front and fight for 'great Armenia'. Despite their claims of being 'victorious everywhere and always' since ancient times, these 'great warriors' were not eager to join the frontlines. There was no significant demand for tickets to Yerevan during either the second or the short-term counter-terrorist operation. It is important to note that this behaviour was limited to online platforms.

However, the Hayans displayed aggressive behaviour on social media, particularly those who were further away from the South Caucasus.

In the autumn of 2022, there was a moment in modern Armenian history when a mass of young Armenians of the conscription age paid any amount of money to board planes flying to Yerevan from various Russian cities.   This event was strangely connected to the war, but not for 'Artsakh'. Rather, it was due to the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, which prompted Russian authorities to announce mobilisation.

"Great Hay warriors" left this mobilisation and fled to Armenia. They even began to restore their citizenship, but not to fight for Armenia or its interests. During the 44-day war, the "great Hay warriors" were claiming to be "rushing into battle" from afar on social media, but they had "urgent business" in Moscow, Sochi or St. Petersburg, and for all 44 days they could not participate in the fighting. When mobilisation was announced in the Russian Federation, people quickly bought plane tickets or rushed to the Upper Lars checkpoint on the border with Georgia to leave for Armenia. The language used in the text has been made more objective, clear, and concise. Biased and figurative language has been removed, and the passive tone has been employed. The sentence structure has been simplified, and technical terms have been used consistently. The grammar, spelling, and punctuation have been corrected. No new content has been added to the text.

Residents of Armenia who have lost loved ones in Karabakh due to the aggressive actions of Armenia's ruling circles do not want war, even those who have not yet overcome nationalism.

However, the Hay media and sociological services do not give these people a voice, instead showing that 'bellicose' sentiments persist. Diasporas located far from Armenia, as well as representatives of the Karabagh clan, tend to support bellicose and revanchist illusions.

It is worth noting that the militancy and revanchism of these groups contradict the real sentiments of the citizens of Armenia. This observation has been made by even the nationalist-minded, but more sober-minded experts and journalists from the Republic of Armenia. The article 'Karabagh Clan Pushes Armenia to a New War' by Tevos Arshakyan in 'Armenia Report' discusses the issue at hand.

Almost all Armenians desire peace and tranquillity. While they do not forget about Karabakh, they no longer wish to engage in conflict.

The author previously expressed scepticism towards sociological polls as a means of gauging public opinion, citing doubts about the accuracy of their conclusions, particularly in Armenia.   The purpose of this text is not only to identify insincere responses from respondents but also to consider who ordered and will count the votes in the poll. Interesting discoveries may arise from this consideration.

For example, "FactInfo" conducted a poll on its YouTube channel to determine public opinion on whether the peace treaty signed with Azerbaijan will ensure peace for Armenia. Based on the poll results, the majority do not support the peace agenda. A total of 8100 individuals participated in the poll. According to a survey, 66% of respondents believe that the treaty will not ensure peace while Azerbaijani troops remain on Armenian territory. It should be noted that the claim that the Azerbaijani army has 'occupied' Armenia's border territories is a Hay propaganda myth, as there has been no demarcation or delimitation of borders. However, it is a fact that Armenia continues to occupy eight Azerbaijani enclave villages. Only 4% of respondents believe that peace is possible.

19% of respondents believe that Armenia should demand the withdrawal of troops as a precondition. 9% of respondents are certain that Azerbaijan will not withdraw troops.

According to the opposition media, Nikol Pashinyan only has 4% support, and therefore his decisions cannot be considered legitimate. The media concludes that the current authorities are pursuing a policy without the people's vote of confidence and support.

This is an interesting observation. It has been found that a small group of people disagree with the government's policy of concluding a peace treaty. However, it is important to note that this information comes from a survey with only 8000 participants and from a source that is not entirely loyal to the authorities. Therefore, this information may be used as a tool for manipulation. It is important to conduct further research and gather information from a variety of sources to gain a more accurate understanding of public opinion. 

It appears that the majority of participants in the FactInfo poll conducted on the internet were radical young people who may not fully comprehend the consequences of war. However, if the poll were conducted among middle-aged and older individuals with children of conscription age, or among parents who have lost sons in the first or second Karabakh war, there would likely be a significant majority in favour of peace.

Many people desire peace to avoid losing loved ones in war. In my daily conversations with fellow citizens, I have observed that the majority seek peace and tranquillity. While the issue of Karabakh remains important, most people do not wish to engage in further conflict. This sentiment is shared by both supporters and opponents of the current authorities.

I do not trust the results of the poll mentioned above. It may have been manipulated to meet the customers' requirements. The poll seems to have aimed to undermine Pashinyan's peace initiatives. The claim that his peace agenda is supported by a minority is a clear manipulation, which can be easily refuted by those living in Armenia.

It is possible that some representatives of the Diaspora voted against peace. As is well known, the mood has always been militant. However, it is unclear whether this helped during the 44-day war. Did many members of the Diaspora come to Armenia and Karabakh to fight? Furthermore, despite being thousands of kilometres away from Armenia, they now oppose the government's peace agenda. It is suggested that they fight their wars instead of throwing Armenia into the crucible of a new war.

The figures obtained in the survey do not provide any meaningful information. The sponsors behind the figures are attempting to mislead and provoke rallies and protests.

By sponsors, I am referring to the Karabakh clan who have been exploiting us for years. If we give in to their manipulations and propaganda, they will continue to exploit us. After all, in the event of a new war, it will be ordinary individuals who fight and die, not those who have fled the country and are hiding in Moscow, Krasnodar, Paris, or Los Angeles, particularly not Levon Kocharyan or Mikayel Minasyan. It is important to strive for peace.  If you share this sentiment, consider taking action and marching to the border. Perhaps then, someone in the country will believe you.” End of article.

The citizens of the Republic of Armenia overwhelmingly desire peace within the internationally recognised borders of their country, rather than war. This is particularly true for those who have lost loved ones or have family members who were injured in previous conflicts. Unfortunately, the recent conflict in Karabakh has resulted in a significant increase in the number of disabled individuals, which is two to three times higher than the number of fatalities.  For some reason, militant revisionists do not inform society about how fathers, mothers, or spouses of disabled people without arms and legs survive, who cannot even look after themselves, let alone support their families.

The sentiment difference between those who have already felt the consequences of the war and those who are instigating the war 'from afar' has already been recognised, even by some Hay nationalists. They urge those who desire war to refrain from obstructing Armenia's peace negotiations with its neighbours or from remaining in the comfort of their flats and offices in Moscow, Sochi or Los Angeles, and instead to join the front line themselves.

 Alexander Zakariadze