Russia still displeased while grappling with reality.
Jul 7, 2026
After mounting an unsuccessful campaign to sink Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s reelection chances, Russia is now telling him that it is time to bury the hatchet.
Pashinyan traveled to the Siberian city of Yekaterinburg, where on July 6 he met his Russian counterpart, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. After the meeting, Mishustin voiced hope that bilateral relations, which have taken a nosedive in recent years amid Armenia’s geopolitical pivot westwards, can get back on an even keel.
In effect, Mishustin asked Pashinyan to forget about all the dirty tricks and disinformation that Russia deployed against him during the recent parliamentary election campaign, which nonetheless ended with a decisive victory for the Armenian prime minister’s Civil Contract party.
“We hope that the new government… will ensure the progressive development of Russian-Armenian relations in the spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, mutual respect and consideration of mutual interests,” the Gazeta.ru news outlet quoted Mishustin as saying.
If Mishustin’s comments were intended as an olive branch, they contained some thorns.
The Armenpress news agency indicated that the Russian prime minister issued a tacit warning to Pashinyan, calling on Yerevan to “maintain a favorable environment for Russian investors” and protect their “legitimate interests.”
Pashinyan’s response was muted, with the clear intent of keeping his options open.
“We are interested in our participation in the Eurasian Economic Union [EAEU], and we are interested in ensuring that the mechanisms envisaged by the EAEU Treaty function as intended,” Armenpress quoted Pashinyan as saying.
“We are committed to a constructive approach to discussing and clarifying all issues and nuances. I hope that following today’s talks we will be able to resolve specific issues,” he added.
A major source of bilateral friction revolves around Armenia’s EAEU membership, which Russian officials contend is incompatible with Yerevan’s recent efforts to gain European Union membership. Moscow insists that Armenia can’t be a member of both and has called on the Armenian leadership to choose. With EU membership a distant prospect, Pashinyan has said there’s no need to make an immediate choice.
As part of its campaign to undermine Pashinyan’s government during the run-up to the parliamentary election campaign, Russia imposed import bans on a variety of Armenian food products.
https://eurasianet.org/pashinyan-travels-to-russia-searches-for-solid-ground-for-armenian-russian-relations
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