Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for a referendum on whether Armenia should remain in a Moscow-led economic bloc or move toward European Union membership, sharpening tensions days before a general election.
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.
‘Balanced’ foreign policy
In a video published on Facebook on Monday, Pashinyan, who has led the South Caucasus country closer to the West, said a referendum would be illogical now because the choice between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU was not yet “inevitable”.
Pashinyan said Armenia should consider such a vote only if it formally applies to join the EU or comes close to receiving candidate status.
He added that his government was pursuing a “balanced” foreign policy.
Pashinyan’s comments came before he spoke to Putin on the phone on Monday. The Kremlin said the two leaders discussed last week’s EAEU summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, which Pashinyan did not attend.
Moscow raises pressure
Russia recalled its ambassador to Armenia for consultations on Saturday, citing Yerevan’s steps toward closer ties with the EU. The Russian-led EAEU bloc has also warned it could consider suspending Armenia over its European course.
Armenia has had close ties with Russia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and Moscow remains its biggest trade partner.
But relations worsened after Azerbaijan retook Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside Azerbaijan that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenians, in 2023.
Armenia says Russian peacekeepers deployed there failed to prevent Azerbaijan’s offensive or protect the Armenian population, which fled the region.
Armenia’s parliament passed a law in 2025 to start the EU accession process, but Yerevan has not yet submitted a formal membership bid.
Next Sunday’s parliamentary election is widely seen as a contest between Pashinyan’s pro-Western course and a pro-Russian opposition.
Polls show the prime minister’s party ahead. US President Donald Trump has endorsed Pashinyan.
This article includes reporting by Reuters
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