MOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) – Russia said on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations in protest at its rapprochement with the European Union as a June 7 ‌election nears.

Formally allied to Russia, the Caucasus nation of around 3 million people has been deepening ties with the West in recent years despite its economic dependence on Moscow.

“The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, ⁠S.P. Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for consultations in connection with steps taken by the Armenian leadership toward rapprochement with the European Union,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement about envoy Sergei Kopyrkin.

A Russian-led economic union of former Soviet republics also said on Friday it would consider suspending Armenia for seeking EU membership and called on Yerevan to hold a referendum.

Opinion polls for ‌the ⁠June election show pro-Western Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party running ahead of the pro-Russian opposition.

U.S. President Donald Trump has endorsed Pashinyan, who swept to power in a 2018 revolution and was re-elected in 2021.

Armenia ⁠says Russia failed to protect it during fighting with neighbouring Azerbaijan, with which it was long at odds over Nagorno-Karabakh, a formerly breakaway region ⁠that had an ethnic Armenian population which Azerbaijan retook in 2023.

Russia says Western countries are meddling in Armenia in order ⁠to weaken Russian influence in the former Soviet Union.

There was no immediate response from Armenia to the Russian envoy’s recall.MOSCOW, May 30 (Reuters) – Russia said on Saturday it had recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations in protest at its rapprochement with the European Union as a June 7 ‌election nears.