Asbarez: Lavrov Urges Yerevan to Quickly Chose Between EU and Russia-Led EEU

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a news conference on the results of Russia’s diplomacy in 2025, in Moscow, Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday called for a “swift resolution” to what he described as an “urgent matter” pertaining to Armenia’s aspirations to join the European Union, while still remaining a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.

Lavrov, according to the RIA Novosti news agency, said the issue is urgent because Armenia has already adopted legislation to integrate with the EU. The Russian foreign minister also added that the Armenian government has said that it does not intend to leave the EEU yet.

“You know, Armenia has already adopted a law on joining the EU; thus, the issue is urgent and must certainly be resolved swiftly,” he said.

The Armenian parliament adopted a bill in 2025 calling on the government to launch the process of EU accession.

Armenia, a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, was informed by the members of that group—Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—that they would like to see a referendum in Armenia on whether to remain in the EEU or withdraw and move toward the European Union.

These developments come amid growing ties between Armenia and the EU, which Yerevan says do not contradict its EEU membership at this stage.

Lavrov’s sentiments were echoed on Wednesday by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who told reporters that Armenia was acting in a “consumerist” manner and the authorities in Yerevan were misleading the public by creating the atmosphere whereby membership in both entities would be possible.

“The leadership of Armenia is trying to convince its own citizens that—the question is already being posed this way—there is no need to choose between the EU and the EEU yet. That as if it is possible to take advantage of all benefits and privileges of Eurasian integration while simultaneously they lay the groundwork for joining another economic bloc,” Zakharova said.

“No, it is not possible. We do not intend to tolerate such a consumerist and one-sided self-interested stance towards the EEU,” she emphasized.

Unlike Western leaders who were quick to congratulate Pashinyan on his election numbers, Russia has yet to reach out to the Armenian leader.

In fact, the Kremlin made it abundantly clear that it will wait for the official results before making any overtures toward Pashinyan.

“It is important to wait for the final official results,” the Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Tuesday. “However, we prefer to wait for some official conclusions.”

According to Peskov, since numerous violations were reported from Armenia during the voting, official data is now of particular importance.

Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, also touched on Armenia’s membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Yerevan has “frozen” its participation in the Russia-led security group and has not paid its membership dues since 2024.

Lavrov said that CSTO member states have agreed to consider applying a relevant provision of the organization’s charter to Armenia over its non-payment of membership fees for two years, the TASS news agency reported on Wednesday.

“On June 7 — on the very day of the elections in Armenia — my colleague [foreign minister] Ararat Mirzoyan, referring to the CSTO issue, stated: ‘We are not paying membership fees because we are simply not participating,’” Lavrov pointed out.

“What should be done in this situation?” Russia’s top diplomat asked. “We discussed this today — Armenia’s more than two-year debt to the CSTO budget, a situation that is provided for by the CSTO charter. And today we agreed to consider activating the relevant article of the CSTO charter,” Lavrov added.

Article 25 of the CSTO Charter outlines measures in cases where a member state fails to meet its financial obligations to the organization for two consecutive years.

It states that in such cases, the CSTO Council will suspend the right of citizens of that country to hold quota-based positions within the organization, as well as deprive them of voting rights in the organization’s bodies, until the debt is fully repaid.

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