Putin cautions Armenia that EU bid could jeopardize EEU trade ties

During the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, President Vladimir Putin cautioned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Armenia’s pursuit of European Union membership would complicate its status in the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union and could erode the benefits of existing trade arrangements. Putin acknowledged the sovereign right to seek EU integration but warned it would undermine the advantages Armenia enjoys within the EEU market.

Pashinyan emphasized that the April law initiating an EU accession process does not violate any EEU commitments and that Armenia has no plans to exit the bloc. The diplomatic strain follows a deterioration of ties after Russia’s non-intervention in the 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh war, leading Moscow to restrict Armenian imports and threaten to suspend duty-free gas, oil and diamond supplies. In response, the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, pledged €18 million of support within a broader €52 million package. Analysts view the dispute as a strategic tug-of-war over Armenia’s alignment between Moscow’s regional sphere and a Western orientation.