Armenia rejects Putin’s EU referendum demand amid strained ties

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has rebuffed Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand for a referendum on joining the European Union, asserting that the country's relationship with Russia is in a "transformation phase."

The Kremlin had intensified pressure on Armenia to reconsider its deepening ties with Brussels ahead of weekend elections. This pressure included a ban on fish imports, imposed shortly after Putin warned that the "Ukrainian scenario" began with Kyiv's EU aspirations. The EU, in turn, accused Russia of attempting to destabilize Armenia's economy and influence the election outcome.

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Our relations with Russia are in a transformation phase.

Armenia, a long-standing ally of Russia since its Soviet era, has grown increasingly frustrated with Moscow's perceived inaction during conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan. This discontent has led Yerevan to seek alliances elsewhere, a move that has angered the Kremlin.

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new relations

Pashinyan explained in a social media video that there was no justification for an EU referendum unless Armenia officially applied for membership or was close to obtaining candidate status. He expressed hope for "new relations" with Russia that would be "successful because our ties with Russia are open and sincere."

Last week, Putin had criticized Armenia's overtures to the West, calling for an immediate referendum and stating that membership in both the EU and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) was impossible. Despite these tensions, the Kremlin and Yerevan reported that Pashinyan and Putin spoke by phone on Monday, discussing the outcomes of the EEU summit in Kazakhstan, where Putin had voiced his warnings. Russia's agricultural watchdog also announced a ban on fish imports from Armenia on the same day, impacting about 30 percent of the country's fish exports.

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successful because our ties with Russia are open and sincere.