The Kremlin leader is set to visit the Central Asian nation for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit on Wednesday to sign deals with Astana and address Yerevan’s EU aspirations – hinting at more pressure on its former ally in the Caucasian region ahead of the country’s June 7 elections.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin is set to visit Kazakhstan on Wednesday for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) summit.
During the three-day trip, Putin is expected to sign deals with Kazakhstan to construct a new nuclear plant and address Armenia’s EU aspirations, according to the Kremlin.
The EAEU is a Russia-led economic bloc comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
Ousting Armenia?
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov suggested that Putin would discuss Armenia’s membership in the bloc during the summit.
“Putin has repeatedly stressed that it is impossible to belong to two associations simultaneously. It simply will not work,” Ushakov said at a press briefing, according to AFP.
Ushakov’s comments echoed Putin’s earlier remarks, in which he said Yerevan must choose between Moscow-led economic structures and the EU, invoking a “Ukrainian scenario” when commenting on Armenia’s EU bid.
Ushakov said while it is “impossible” to expel a member state from the bloc, a country could declare it was ending its “cooperation.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan previously said he would skip the summit, sending Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan instead in his place.
Russia’s remarks came ahead of Yerevan’s June 7 elections, as Pashinyan is set to face off against the pro-Russian opposition amid Yerevan’s push for closer Western integration.
Yerevan’s break from Moscow stems from Russian peacekeepers’ failure to stop Baku from retaking the Karabakh enclave in 2023
On May 7, Pashinyan explicitly stated that Armenia is “not an ally of Russia on the issue of Ukraine” and has continued to send humanitarian aid to Kyiv.
On Tuesday, Yerevan also signed minerals and cooperation agreements with Washington during US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the country.
Regarding Yerevan’s place in EAEU, Pashinyan said the country remains “a full-fledged member of the EAEU” in response to Putin’s earlier threats.
“And as long as we are members of the EAEU, we fully participate in all decision-making,” he said.
Nuclear deals with Kazakhstan
Putin is also set to sign deals to construct a nuclear plant with the host country during the trip, according to Ushakov.
“Key agreements will be signed during [Putin’s] visit on the main parameters for building a nuclear power plant and on financing the project through a Russian state export loan,” he said, according to Reuters.
Moscow is expected to finance 85% of the plant, which is expected to be commissioned between 2035-36, Reuters said.
Kazakhstan has served as a major sanctions-evasion hub for Moscow. Despite reports in recent months of Kazakhstan’s new export controls amid fears of secondary sanctions, there are few signs of Astana distancing itself from Moscow.
In late April, Russia said it would stop transporting Kazakh oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline starting May 1, citing “technical capabilities.” Russia also maintains access to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan under a long lease, and recently conducted the first test launch of its new Soyuz‑5 rocket at the site.
On Monday, Kazakhstan also said it would not enforce a court ruling allowing Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz to recover $1.4 billion from Russia’s Gazprom, saying the country would not act as “a transit platform” for enforcing rulings with no legal connection to the country.
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