As EU Mulls More ‘Support’ For Armenia, U.S. Says Russia ‘Not Happy’ with U.S

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan sign a strategic agreement regarding TRIPP at Zvartnots Airport on May 26

Ahead of Sunday’s elections in Armenia, the European Union on Tuesday promised to help Yerevan as Russia extended its products bans on Armenia, while the United States said Moscow wanted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to lose for his pro-U.S. posturing.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan had a conversation with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos on Tuesday. According to the foreign ministry, the two discussed “mechanisms for boosting EU-Armenia trade” as Moscow continued to ban key imports from Armenia.

Kos “reiterated the EU’s solidarity with Armenia in the face of growing economic coercion by Russia,” according to the Armenian foreign ministry statement.

“We are looking into ways to increase EU support for Armenia in the short term,” the EU official wrote on X. “We will also accelerate our work bolstering trade and energy links to and within the South Caucasus, supporting Armenia’s economic links with its immediate neighborhood.”

Moscow has reacted angrily to Yerevan hosting the European Political Community summit in Armenia last month. However, when Pashinyan met with two top EU officials, Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, a day after the summit, they did not promise additional economic aid to Yerevan.

The Russian embargo could hit Armenia’s agricultural industry as most of the bans imposed by Moscow are for fruits and vegetables that are imported to Russia and make up a great portion of 35.8 percent of Armenia’s trade last year.

Armenia’s agriculture industry is the cornerstone of the country’s economy, employing more than 28 percent of the country’s workforce, according to Armenia’s International Trade Administration.

While campaigning on Tuesday, Pashinyan said that his government has already found new export markets in Europe, without elaborating. Armenia’s trade with the EU accounts for 11.7 percent of its entire trade portfolio.

Meanwhile, while speaking at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia was unhappy with growing U.S. involvement in Armenia.

“I think Russia is not happy with U.S. involvement in Armenia,” Rubio said during the hearing.

Speaking about American engagement in the South Caucasus, Rubio stated that the United States sees growing opportunities in the region that could benefit both U.S. interests and regional countries, including Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“To the benefit of American companies and American interests, but also to the benefit of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and other regional countries. I would also argue, by the way, and just to point out, and I don’t mean this again, I think this is pretty well understood in the open source reporting, the Russians are less than happy about our engagement there. I think there’s evidence that they would like the current prime minister to lose his election as a result of this growing relationship with the United States,” Rubio added.

“To be clear, we’re not there to infringe on Armenian sovereignty. We’re not asking them not to be friends with other countries. We just want to be able to have a relationship with them that’s built not just on peace. Peace is important, but that’s just the beginning. The benefit of American companies,” he emphasized, making it clear that initiatives advanced by the U.S. seek to advance U.S. companies’ interests throughout the Eurasian region, by using Armenia as a gateway.

Rubio also said that the U.S. wants to further strengthen cooperation with Armenia through expanded political and strategic relations.

President Donald Trump endorsed Pashinyan for the upcoming elections on Thursday.

“Nikol has my full and unconditional support for his reelection on June 7, 2026,” Trump said on his Truth Social, emphasizing that Pashinyan would advance the Trump administration’s interest economically and politically in the region.

“Soon, the United States and Armenia will break ground together on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, which will transform the South Caucasus, and help our wonderful American Energy Companies gain access from Central Asia all the way to the United States,” Trump said in his endorsement post on May 28.

Last week, Rubio also briefly visited Armenia, where he and Mirzoyan signed a series of agreements on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, as well as document on Armenian mining.

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