Russia said on Saturday it has recalled its ambassador to Armenia "for consultations" over Yerevan's increasingly close ties with the EU, in another escalation in the run-up to Armenia’s decisive 7 June elections.
"The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, SP Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for consultations in connection with steps taken by the Armenian leadership toward rapprochement with the European Union," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
A day earlier, Russia continued to increase its pressure on the government of Premier Nikol Pashinyan ahead of the elections, announcing that it would impose “temporary restrictions” on Armenian exports of certain fruits and vegetables, adding to the recent bans on Armenian mineral water, wines and brandy.
Also on Friday, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) leaders issued a joint statement warning Armenia that its plans to join the EU pose “serious risks” to the economic security of all EAEU countries.
During their summit in Astana, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan called on Yerevan to hold a national referendum as soon as possible on Armenia’s choice between the EU and the Moscow-led bloc.
They warned Yerevan that its move towards EU accession may lead to the country's suspension from the organisation and launched a so-called formal review into Armenia’s membership in view of a possible suspension by December.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has already touted the idea of a referendum on Armenia's future, saying earlier that it would be “quite logical ... to ask the Armenian citizens what their choice would be."
"Based on that, we would make our own choice as well," he said at the time.
On Friday Putin also repeated an earlier parallel he made between Ukraine and Armenia, telling the gathered press that "the crisis in Ukraine began at one point with Ukraine’s attempts to join the EU."
Putin has previously said that membership in both blocs was "impossible".
Yerevan supports 'mutually beneficial cooperation'
Armenia was represented at the Moscow-led union summit by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, as Pashinyan was busy with the election campaign for the 7 June elections.
A video from the summit showed Putin shaking hands with Grigoryan while greeting the other leaders.
The EAEU statement was conveyed to Grigoryan, who told the summit that Armenia “remains committed to constructive participation in the EAEU based on mutual respect, equal partnership, and consideration of all members’ national interests,” and that Yerevan supports “mutually beneficial cooperation”.
Armenia has consistently maintained that it does not plan to withdraw from the EAEU but will continue its pro-EU course.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk asked for patience when asked if there has been any movement on the matter during the summit, adding that the situation is “not so straightforward.”
The Kremlin has ramped up its repeated warnings to Yerevan over its pro-Western path, threatening to end its cheap gas and oil supplies which are vital to Armenia, and to show Armenians the consequences of a possible Pashinyan victory on 7 June.
“I told Pashinyan, 'Everything that is acceptable and good for the Armenians is acceptable and good for Russia. Do as you think is good for the Armenian people," Putin said at the summit on Friday.
“Our people are connected by centuries of friendship and nothing can damage our humanitarian ties. But, there are questions that are purely economic."
"It is not possible to reconcile the standards of the EU with the standards of the EAEU. That is why we shall be forced to roll back all our economic activities in Armenia” if it were to move closer to the 27-member bloc, Putin told reporters at the end of the summit in Astana.
Amid widespread allegations of Russian interference in Armenia’s election campaign and support for the Armenian opposition, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Armenia conveyed informally to Moscow the message that certain Russian officials were not welcome as election observers.
Putin's words right after Trump's endorsement
The EAEU statement mentioned only Armenia's pro-EU course, but it came just one day after US President Donald Trump gave Pashinyan his "complete and total endorsement" for re-election, describing him as "a great friend and leader" who is making Armenia "strong, wealthy and very secure."
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan, where he and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership framework, a critical minerals memorandum of understanding, and a cooperation agreement on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — known as TRIPP — a transit corridor linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia.
Trump linked his endorsement directly to Rubio's visit, saying the US and Armenia would "soon break ground" on the TRIPP corridor, which he said would "transform the South Caucasus" and open energy access from Central Asia to the US.
Standing next to Trump at the White House on Wednesday, Rubio described the critical minerals deal as "a reminder of another war President Trump helped settle," referring to the historic Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement Pashinyan signed with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at the White House last year.
"We are seeing the emergence of a great new relationship with Armenia," Rubio added.
Pashinyan thanked Trump for the endorsement on X, posting the US and Armenian flags side by side.
