June 05, 2026

Kremlin Threatens Armenia


Kremlin Threatens Armenia
Khor Virap Monastery and Mt. Ararat, Armenia. Eva Mencnerova

Armenia is expanding its cooperation with the U.S. and the EU, drawing Kremlin ire.

Armenia announced its desire to join the European Union and that has provoked a strong reaction, as the former Soviet republic is still a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The most recent EAEU summit took place on May 28–29 in Astana, and, unlike the other member states, Armenia sent a deputy prime minister rather than the head of state, Nikol Pashinyan. Pashinyan attributed this decision to upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 7.

However, since it is impossible to be a member of both the EU and the EAEU at the same time, Armenia must soon decide which path to take. According to the independent publication Verstka, at the summit, Vladimir Putin demanded that Armenia announce its decision as soon as possible. He not only emphasized that if Yerevan chooses the Europeans, it will distance itself from Moscow, but also said that “the crisis in Ukraine began with attempts to join the EU.” The word “crisis” can be interpreted in various ways, but in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine, this statement is an unambiguous threat.

Economic pressure from Russia has already begun. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia had sent Yerevan a warning letter: if Armenia continues with the process of joining the EU, Russia may suspend or terminate a 2013 agreement on the supply of gas, petroleum products, and diamonds.

It was also announced recently that, starting May 30, imports of fresh Armenian tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and strawberries will be temporarily suspended. Shortly before that, the Russian Consumer Protection Agency restricted imports of Armenian flowers, “Dzhemruk” mineral water, and products from a number of alcohol producers. 

Russian authorities claim that the sanctions are exclusively due to sanitary requirements, while Russians lament that Armenian five-star cognac – popular since Soviet times – will soon become unavailable.

Map of the Black Sea
Map of Armenia and the Black Sea area. / Marko Bukorovic 

 

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