Moscow has recalled its Ambassador to Armenia, Sergei Kopirkin, ‘for consultations’ about Armenia’s relations with the EU. The decision came a day after Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states urged Armenia to swiftly hold a referendum to choose between the two blocs.
The move comes amidst renewed tensions between Armenia and Russia ahead of the 7 June parliamentary elections. The latest round of friction largely followed a 1 April meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which Putin expressed their wish that ‘pro-Russian’ forces would be able to ‘participate in this domestic political work during the elections’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
The day before Kopyrkin’s recall, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan adopted a joint statement during an EAEU session in Kazakhstan on 29 May, calling for Armenia to hold a nationwide referendum ‘as soon as possible’ on joining the EU or remaining in the EAEU.
Armenia was represented at the session by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, as Pashinyan was engaged in election campaigning.
The appeal was issued in light of ‘the significant risks to the economic security’ of EAEU member states stemming from Armenia’s ‘preparations for accession to the EU’, as well as the need to prevent related damage to the bloc.
The leaders also agreed that member states would report at the next EAEU meeting in December 2026 on ‘the possible consequences of suspending’ Armenia’s membership. However, under the bloc’s regulations, a country can only be removed based on its own request.
The statement came roughly three weeks after Putin made a similar proposal, suggesting that a referendum should determine Armenia’s geopolitical trajectory. Putin added that if the Armenian people chose the EU path, ‘we will make the relevant conclusions and take the path of a gentle, intelligent, and mutually beneficial divorce’ — remarks Pashinyan later rejected.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
The same day as the EAEU session, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Armenia ‘cannot and must not’ deepen relations with the EU ‘at the expense of the finances of EAEU countries’.
Armenia rejects call for referendum
On Monday, Pashinyan rejected the need for a swift referendum, noting that his government would continue to work within the EAEU bloc ‘until the point when making a choice between the EU and the EAEU becomes unavoidable’.
He stressed that the choice between the two blocs must be made based on the referendum; however, he saw no ground for holding it now, as such a choice currently remains ‘theoretical’ at this stage.
‘Until the point when Armenia has either officially applied for EU membership or is very close to obtaining candidate status, holding any referendum would be unreasonable’, Pashinyan said.
He added that they would continue to work ‘calmly and steadily, without disputes’ within the EAEU.
Pashinyan also reiterated that bilateral relations with Russia are undergoing a ‘transformation’ and at the same time underscored they were ‘significantly developing and attaching importance’ to those relations.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
‘I consider the transformation phase to be positive because, yes, in the context of this new situation, we are establishing new relations with Russia, and I am confident that we will succeed in this’, Pashinyan said.
Later on Monday, Pashinyan and Putin held a phone call, in which the Armenian leader ‘thanked the Russian president for his balanced positions on a number of issues that gave rise to misgivings, his friendly tone, as well as his support’. According to the Armenian readout, the two agreed to ‘continue the discussions at a suitable opportunity in the format of a meeting’.
Speaking after the EAEU session on 29 May, Putin said that Russia and Armenia, as well as their peoples, shared a ‘special relationship’.
He recalled telling Pashinyan that ‘everything that is good for Armenians is acceptable and good for Russia’, adding that any future decision would not ‘spoil our humanitarian ties, it will not spoil our political ties’.
‘But in this case, we’re talking about purely economic matters. Everything needs to be calculated, carefully examined, and a decision needs to be made’, Putin said.
He also warned of potential consequences if Armenia moved away from the EAEU, including changes to migration conditions, increased railway tariffs, and higher energy prices. According to Putin, such developments could ‘lead to a loss of at least 14% of Armenia’s GDP’.
His comments came as Russia suspended the import of several Armenian products, including fruit and vegetables, alcoholic beverages, Jermuk mineral water, and flowers, citing alleged violations.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
The restrictions have widely been seen as Moscow applying economic pressure on Armenia ahead of the elections, which has been a toolkit repeatedly used by Moscow.
Those concerns have been further fuelled by reports based on apparent leaked documents alleging Russian attempts to influence the vote.
The latest such article was published on 29 May. Reuters, citing five Western intelligence officials and leaked documents, reported that Moscow’s plans included ‘disinformation campaigns in favour of pro-Russian candidates’ as well as bussing ‘tens of thousands of Russian–Armenians’ into Armenia to influence the election outcome.
