EU or Eurasia: Why Putin sparred with Armenia’s PM
Al Jazeera · 2026-09-02
During a tense meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s summit in Kyrgyzstan, Russian President Vladimir Putin confronted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over Armenia's aspirations to join the European Union. Putin stated that Moscow needs clarity on Yerevan’s intentions to determine the future of bilateral trade, warning that joining the EU would be tantamount to declaring a break from the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Pashinyan, whose government adopted a law last April to launch the EU accession process, maintained that Armenia has not violated its obligations to Russia or the EEU and has no intention of leaving the EEU.
This dispute highlights significant tension in Russian-Armenian relations, which have soured since 2023, particularly after Russia did not intervene militarily when Azerbaijan launched an offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia remains Armenia's key economic partner, accounting for roughly 30 percent of its trade, with bilateral trade reaching $2.5 billion in the first half of this year. Political analyst Laurentiu Plesca noted that Moscow's decision not to support Yerevan during the 2023 Karabakh conflict led to Armenia's pivot towards the West, prompting Russia to block Armenian imports and threaten to suspend duty-free gas, oil products, and diamonds. The EU has pledged economic support, including an additional 18 million euros as part of a broader 52 million euros package, to offset potential Russian pressure on Armenia.