Yerevan: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday rebuffed Moscow's call for his country to hold a referendum on joining the EU, saying ties with Russia were in a "transformation phase."
The Kremlin has upped pressure on Armenia over its rapprochement with Brussels ahead of weekend elections, banning fish imports from Monday in a move that came after Putin warned that the "Ukrainian scenario" began with Kyiv's EU ambitions.
The EU, meanwhile, accused Russia of trying to "hurt Armenia's economy and influence the outcome of the parliamentary elections in Armenia."
An ex-Soviet republic, Armenia has been closely allied with Russia for decades. But frustrated that Moscow did not protect it in conflicts with neighbouring Azerbaijan, Yerevan has in recent years looked for other allies.
This has triggered anger in the Kremlin.
"Our relations with Russia are in a transformation phase," Pashinyan said in a video on social media, adding that he hoped for "new relations" with Russia that he believed will be "successful because our ties with Russia are open and sincere."
Pashinyan said there was no reason for Armenia to hold an EU referendum unless Yerevan "officially applied" for membership or "has come close" to getting candidate status.
Putin last week criticised Armenia's moves to become closer to the Western bloc, calling for a referendum as "soon as possible" and saying membership in both the EU and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) would be impossible.
The Kremlin and Yerevan said Pashinyan and Putin spoke on the phone Monday, only saying they had discussed the "outcomes" of the EEU summit in Kazakhstan -- where Putin had made the warnings.
It said Putin had passed on birthday wishes to Pashinyan.
But on the same day, Russia's agricultural watchdog said it was banning fish goods from Armenia. Around 30 percent of Armenia's products from its fish farming industry are exported to Russia.
Over the weekend, Moscow recalled its ambassador to Armenia for "consultations" over Yerevan's growing EU ties, in a sign the Kremlin was growing increasingly frustrated.
Still formally allied with Moscow, Armenia remains a member of the EEU. But relations deteriorated since Azerbaijan's 2023 offensive, with Yerevan angry over the inaction of Russian peacekeepers.
Armenia hosted its first ever EU summit last month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit, which also saw Pashinyan playing the drums as French President Emmanuel Macron -- considered as one of the most hostile leaders by Moscow -- sang.
