Armenia rejects Putin’s call for EU membership referendum

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has rejected Russia’s call for a referendum on Armenia’s potential membership of the European Union, saying relations between Yerevan and Moscow are undergoing a period of transformation.

 

Pashinyan made the remarks on Monday amid growing tensions with the Kremlin over Armenia’s increasing engagement with the EU.

 

Russia has intensified pressure on Armenia ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, including a ban on Armenian fish imports that took effect on Monday. The move followed comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned that the “Ukrainian scenario” began with Kyiv’s pursuit of closer ties with the European Union.

 

The European Union accused Moscow of attempting to influence Armenia’s elections and damage its economy through such measures.

 

Speaking in a video message on social media, Pashinyan said Armenia’s relationship with Russia remained important but was evolving.

 

“Our relations with Russia are in a transformation phase,” he said. “I hope we will build new relations with Russia that will be successful because our ties with Russia are open and sincere.”

 

The Armenian leader dismissed the need for a referendum on EU membership at this stage, saying such a vote would only be necessary if Armenia formally applied for membership or moved closer to obtaining candidate status.

 

“There is no reason to hold a referendum unless Armenia officially applies for membership or comes close to receiving candidate status,” he stated.

 

Putin had last week urged Armenia to organise a referendum “as soon as possible” if it intended to join the EU, arguing that membership in the European Union and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) would be incompatible.

 

Despite the disagreement, the Kremlin and Armenian government confirmed that Putin and Pashinyan spoke by telephone on Monday. Both sides said the conversation focused on the recent EEU summit in Kazakhstan, where Putin had raised concerns about Armenia’s EU ambitions.

 

The Kremlin added that Putin also conveyed birthday wishes to the Armenian prime minister.

 

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years following Azerbaijan’s 2023 military offensive in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to protect ethnic Armenians during the conflict.

 

Although Armenia remains a member of the EEU and maintains formal ties with Moscow, it has increasingly sought closer relations with the European Union and Western partners.

 

Last month, Armenia hosted its first-ever EU summit, attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

 

The event was viewed by analysts as another sign of Armenia’s gradual shift away from Russia’s sphere of influence.