10 May 2026

The Armenian authorities should hold a referendum on joining the European Union, a move Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared his desire to do. President Vladimir Putin stated this at a press conference following the Victory Day Parade in Moscow . He said the issue “requires special consideration.” “It would be right, both for the people and for us as their main economic partner, to make a decision as soon as possible, for example, by holding a referendum. It’s not our business, but it would be logical to hold a referendum and ask Armenian citizens what their choice would be,” he said. Then we could pursue “a gentle, intelligent, and mutually beneficial divorce.”

Putin also emphasized that the war against Ukraine began “with the country’s entry or attempted entry into the EU.” He stated that a series of events and former President Viktor Yanukovych’s refusal to integrate with the EU led to a “coup d’état” in Ukraine, which led to “the Crimean incident, the position of southeastern Ukraine, and the military actions.” “Therefore, there’s no need to push things to extremes; we simply need to say in a timely manner what we will do. There’s nothing special here. Everything needs to be calculated. The Armenian side needs to calculate, and we need to calculate,” the president stated.

Putin added that this was a “serious issue” and noted that Armenia’s plans for EU membership could become a subject of discussion at the EAEU summit.

The Armenian parliament approved a law to begin the country’s EU accession process in the spring of 2025. In August, Pashinyan stated that Yerevan could withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as the country strives for European integration. “We understand that simultaneous membership in both the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible. When the time comes to make the final choice, we will make the appropriate decision,” he emphasized. 

Earlier this week,  the European Political Community (EPC) summit was held in Yerevan, attended by representatives from nearly 50 countries. French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the gathering, noted the political changes in the country and praised Pashinyan for his commitment to “European integration.” 

On May 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the summit, sparking a sharp reaction in the Kremlin. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Yerevan of “actions against Russia,” threatened a “serious complication” in bilateral relations, and criticized Zelenskyy’s “very warm” reception. 

“Of course, we probably would have expected some clarification from Yerevan,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, commenting on the matter.  He called it “abnormal” that Armenia had provided Zelenskyy with “a platform for completely anti-Russian statements.” Peskov believed this “doesn’t fit with the spirit of our relations with Yerevan.”

https://ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/10/ne-nuzhno-dovodit-do-krainosti-putin-prigrozil-armenii-povtoreniem-stsenariya-ukraini-iz-za-planov-vstupit-v-es-a194955