“This is the first visit of a president of Ukraine to Armenia in 24 years. It is important that we are resuming an active dialogue between our countries,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post.

“We discussed the situation in the region and security challenges and threats,” he wrote after the “good” meeting with Pashinian.

In a separate statement, Zelenskyy’s office reported that he also welcomed Yerevan’s “steps towards rapprochement with the European Union” and said Kyiv is “ready to support Armenia’s pro-European initiatives.”

“It matters that Armenia stands here with all Europeans,” Zelensky said in his speech at the summit earlier in the day.

According to an Armenian readout of Pashinian’s talks with Zelenskyy, the two leaders emphasized “the importance of deepening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.” They also discussed “regional and global developments.”

The Armenian and Ukrainian foreign ministers met separately during the summit held just a few kilometers from the Erebuni airbase, home to Russian warplanes. They are part of a Russian military contingent in Armenia.

Zelenskyy’s trip to Yerevan could add to Armenia’s lingering tensions with Russia. President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have warned in recent weeks that the South Caucasus country would pay a heavy economic price for its government’s continued drift to the EU.

Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said in 2024 that Yerevan should not follow Kyiv’s example in reorienting Armenian foreign policy towards the West. Another Russian official claimed earlier that Pashinian is “following in Zelenskyy’s footsteps” and helping the West “turn Armenia into another Ukraine.”

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