Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Armenia to hold a referendum on its geopolitical future and choose between integration with the European Union and continued membership in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), framing the prospect as a “gentle, intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce” at a press conference on Saturday, weeks before Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections and days before he is expected to raise the issue at the EAEU summit in Astana on May 28–29.
Putin said Armenia’s ambitions toward the European Union required “special consideration,” reiterating Moscow’s long-standing position that it is impossible to simultaneously be part of both the EU and the EAEU.
“It would be right with respect to the people, the Armenian citizens, and to us as its main economic partner, if a decision was made as soon as possible, for instance, at a referendum,” Putin said.
“If the Armenian people consider any decision as beneficial, we will certainly have nothing to say against it,” he added, before stating that Russia would then “make the relevant conclusions and take the path of a gentle, intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce.”
The remarks marked one of the clearest acknowledgements yet from the Kremlin that Armenia’s geopolitical orientation has shifted significantly in recent years.
Once among Russia’s closest allies in the South Caucasus, Armenia’s relations with Moscow have deteriorated sharply following Russia’s perceived inaction during Azerbaijani attacks on Armenia’s internationally recognized territory in 2022, as well as during Azerbaijan’s military offensive in Artsakh in 2023.
Since then, Yerevan has steadily deepened ties with the West while publicly questioning the reliability of Russia as a security partner. In March 2025, the Armenian parliament passed a bill calling on the government to pursue EU integration, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed it into law on April 4. Civil Contract’s election manifesto, released in April, reaffirmed that the party will continue pursuing EU membership if it wins the June 7 vote.
Putin had already raised the incompatibility issue with Pashinyan directly during a reportedly tense meeting in Moscow on April 1, publicly telling the Armenian prime minister that simultaneous participation in both economic blocs was “not compatible.” Pashinyan effectively ignored the warning.
Putin nevertheless attempted to soften the tone of his weekend remarks, stressing the historical ties between the two countries.
“We maintained special relations with the Armenian people for centuries,” he said. “We will support everything that will benefit the Armenian people.”
At the same time, Putin emphasized the economic stakes for Armenia. Russia remained Armenia’s largest trading partner in 2025 with roughly 36 percent of total foreign trade, compared to under 12 percent for EU member states combined.
“Our trade with Armenia decreased last year, and the year before it was much higher, but it was still $7 billion in 2025,” Putin said. “Considering that the country’s GDP is $29 billion, this is a significant figure. Armenia gains significant advantages within the Eurasian Economic Union framework.”
More ominously, he invoked Ukraine while discussing Armenia’s European aspirations.
“We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine attempting to join the EU,” Putin said, repeating a narrative frequently used by the Kremlin regarding the origins of the 2014 Euromaidan Revolution and the subsequent conflict.
Putin indicated that he intends to raise the matter at the upcoming EAEU summit in Astana on May 28–29, less than two weeks before Armenia’s parliamentary elections.
Russian Pressure Builds After Yerevan Summits
Putin’s remarks came at the end of a week of escalating Russian criticism over Armenia’s hosting of the 8th European Political Community summit on May 4, followed by the first-ever EU-Armenia summit. Roughly 50 high-level delegations attended, including European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made his first trip to Armenia.
Addressing the summit, Zelenskyy implicitly threatened to disrupt Russia’s scaled-back May 9 Victory Day parade with drone strikes, saying Moscow “cannot afford military equipment, and they fear drones may buzz over Red Square.” The summit was held just a few kilometers from the Erebuni airbase, home to Russian warplanes. Pashinyan and Zelenskyy met separately on the sidelines, after which the Ukrainian leader said Kyiv and Yerevan were “resuming an active dialogue between our countries.”
On May 7, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Armenia of siding with the EU against Russia, condemning what it called Zelenskyy’s “terrorist” threats and the “absence of an appropriate negative reaction from official Yerevan.” Armenian Ambassador to Russia Gurgen Arsenyan was summoned to the ministry the following day. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that Armenia would face “political and economic” consequences for siding with the European Union against Russia, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added his voice to the criticism over the weekend, immediately preceding Putin’s press conference.
Pashinyan Rejects “Divorce” Framing, Will Skip EAEU Summit
Pashinyan responded directly to Putin’s remarks during a press briefing on Monday, rejecting the Russian president’s framing and revealing that he had already discussed the issue privately with Putin.
“I do not agree with the wording ‘divorce,’ because we sometimes confuse interstate relations with marriage,” Pashinyan said. “Armenia is guided in its interstate relations by an interstate logic.”
Pashinyan stressed that Armenia remains a full member of the EAEU and continues to participate fully in its decision-making structures.
“So long as no necessity arises, we are not going to put forward any such issue,” he said regarding a possible referendum on Armenia’s geopolitical orientation. “We will hold a referendum at the moment when there is an objective need for it. My assessment is that there is simply no such objective necessity.”
The Armenian premier reiterated that Yerevan had no intention of damaging Russia’s interests, while emphasizing that Armenia would continue pursuing closer ties with the European Union and implementing democratic reforms.
“We have not had, do not have, and will not have the goal of harming Russia’s interests,” Pashinyan said. “But we are also fully committed to the interests of our own state.”
He described the ongoing transformation in Armenian-Russian relations as an “objective reality” rather than a matter of political preference, adding that the process should continue “calmly, quietly, without nerves, without unnecessary escalation.”
Pashinyan also stressed that he continues to maintain “working relations” with Putin based on “mutual trust,” despite growing disagreements between the two countries over Armenia’s future direction.
Pashinyan announced that he will not attend the EAEU summit in Astana on May 28–29, citing the parliamentary election campaign. He said he had informed Putin of the decision during their April 1 meeting in Moscow and had also notified Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev by phone. Armenia will be represented at the summit by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.
Pashinyan Pushes Back On Zelenskyy Criticism, Ukraine Comparison
Pashinyan also rejected Russia’s criticism of his failure to respond to Zelenskyy’s remarks in Yerevan, arguing that the European Political Community summit was a multilateral platform whose host country leader was not obligated to police the statements of attendees.
“This event was as much my event as it was the event of our other partners. I don’t think that I, as the head of the government of the host country, should censor or necessarily respond to everything,” Pashinyan said. “There have been times when the president of the Russian Federation made statements about various countries in my presence, but I don’t remember the Russian Federation expecting me to react to those statements.”
He added that Armenia is “a small country with our own agenda” and that membership in international forums like the European Political Community, the EAEU, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) does not mean Yerevan intends to involve itself in every global dispute.
Pashinyan also rejected Putin’s implicit comparison of Armenia’s EU path to Ukraine’s.
“I have great respect for Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova. I cannot allow myself to use the names of these countries as a negative criterion in comparison with Armenia,” he said. “Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova are wonderful countries, friendly countries of Armenia. How can I participate in a conversation where, for example, the name of Georgia will be used in a negative sense?”
EU Backs Armenia’s “European Aspirations”
The European Union signalled support for Armenia’s growing cooperation with Europe on Monday. Speaking ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said Armenia alone had the right to determine its future geopolitical course.
“Only the people of Armenia can decide about their future,” Kos told reporters. “The last Political Community meeting and the EU-Armenia summit have shown what kind of way they want to go, and Europe will support them.”
Kos added that Brussels remained aware of the region’s sensitive geopolitical dynamics and would continue monitoring developments closely.
“Of course we are aware of the geopolitical dynamics in this area and we will follow it very carefully,” she said.
Her remarks come as Armenia and the EU continue expanding cooperation in political, economic, and democratic reform areas, with Brussels increasingly positioning itself as a key partner for Yerevan.
