“Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin was recalled to Moscow for consultations in connection with the steps taken by the Armenian leadership towards rapprochement with the European Union,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, according to the Interfax agency.
On Friday in Kazakhstan, Putin declared that the “scenario in Ukraine” began with Kyiv’s attempt to join the EU, and called on Yerevan to hold a referendum on joining the union as soon as possible. According to him, Armenia cannot become a member of the EU and at the same time remain in the economic grouping of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAHU), which Russia leads.
In recent years, post-Soviet Armenia has been deepening its alliance with the West, despite its economic dependence on Russia, including energy supplies, to the displeasure of the Kremlin.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported this week that Moscow has threatened Yerevan with a complete stoppage of natural gas and oil supplies from Russia if Armenia continues its rapprochement with the EU. On Monday, the Kremlin threatened Armenia that it could lose its existing discounts on Russian gas.
Russian veterinary and phytosanitary service Rosselchoznadzor will temporarily limit the import of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries and leafy vegetables from Armenia from the end of May. The restrictions were preceded by similar temporary bans that Russia recently imposed on Armenian mineral water or brandy.
Yerevan begged for Moscow’s weak protection
Armenia blames Russia for not protecting it during the fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan. In 2023, he regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning military operation and, despite the presence of Russian soldiers, ended the decades-long rule of Armenian separatists there.
Armenia joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2023, which Moscow called a hostile move. A year later, Yerevan practically froze its participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military pact of some post-Soviet republics led by Moscow. Last year, Armenia adopted a law declaring its intention to seek EU membership.
This year, Pashinyan decided not to participate in the May celebrations of the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War in Moscow. He explained it to the campaign before the June elections. In response, Moscow criticized Yerevan’s rapprochement with the West, and Russian President Putin warned that Armenia is gradually breaking away from Russia.
