What you need to know
- Armenia has strong economic ties with Moscow
- It argues that Russia and allies failed to help Armenia in its 2020 and 2023 war with Azerbaijan
- Russia says Armenia cannot be in both the EU and the Russia-led Eurasian economic bloc
- Putin stressed that Russia’s conflict with Ukraine began over Kiev’s demand to join the EU
Russia said on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Yerevan over Armenia’s steps toward strengthening its ties with the European Union.
Armenia historically has strong economic, diplomatic and security ties with Moscow but in recent years its government has leaned increasingly towards the West.
The Caucasian country held an Armenia-EU summit in early May, which Brussels described as a “leap forward” in relations.
Why did Russia recall its ambassador from Armenia?
Moscow said Armenia’s rapprochement with Brussels could undermine its membership in the Russian-led economic bloc.
“Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia S. Kopyrkin has been recalled to Moscow for consultations on steps taken by the Armenian leadership to rapprochement with the EU, which is undermining cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is a single market composed of, in addition to Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
Moscow had previously stressed that Armenia could not be a member of both the EU and the EEU.
Putin cites ‘Ukrainian scenario’ in warning to Yerevan
The statement came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin linked the dispute with Armenia to the “Ukrainian scenario”, saying Moscow’s military confrontation with Kiev began as Ukraine began to seek closer ties with the EU.
During the EEU summit in the Kazakhstan capital Astana on Friday, Putin also called on Armenia to swiftly hold a referendum on whether its citizens want to remain in the Moscow-led bloc or instead pursue EU accession talks.
At the same summit, leaders of the Eurasian bloc warned that Armenia’s plans to apply for EU candidacy pose “significant risks” to their economic security and ordered officials to prepare a report on the “potential consequences of suspending” Armenia’s membership in the EEU.
Russia has also warned Yerevan that it could cut off supplies of cheap Russian natural gas to Armenia and ban imports of Armenian brandy, fruits and vegetables, which Putin said could cost Armenia at least 14% of its GDP.
Why is Armenia moving away from Russia?
Armenia began to move away from Moscow after losing the 2020 and 2023 wars with Azerbaijan, which led to the effective dissolution of the breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The region was within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders, but had been ruled by Armenian separatists since a war in the 1990s, and a 2023 war that led to the deportation of the vast majority of its population, largely ethnic Armenians.
The wars were accompanied by border clashes with Azerbaijan, which affected internationally recognized Armenian territory.
Yerevan revoked its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in 2024, saying that by not protecting Armenia from Azerbaijan, the member state effectively failed to respect mutual defense obligations.
While Armenia has not yet formally applied for EU candidacy, the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced its intention to make a membership bid.
Armenia has also agreed to a US-brokered peace deal to normalize its relations with Azerbaijan and establish an economic transit corridor that would allow Baku to connect with its region of Nakhchivan.
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru
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