Armenia's westward tilt tests Russia's grip

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Once one of Moscow's closest allies in the South Caucasus, Armenia has recently handed the Kremlin a series of diplomatic humiliations. Not only did Yerevan host the first Armenia-EU summit on May 4-5, but one of the guests wasPresident Volodymyr Zelensky, marking his first official trip to the country. The state visit by the Ukrainian leader, whose country has been resisting Russia's full-scale invasion for over four years, sparked fury in the Kremlin. Moscowdemands an explanation for platforming Zelensky's "anti-Russian statements," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov fumed. The Russian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, openly askedArmenia: "Whose side of history are you on?"

Posted by LampLighter at 10:16 PM | 3 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

More from the article ...

... Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who skipped Moscow's scaled-down May 9 Victory Day celebrations in another diplomatic snub, gave an unequivocal answer: "On the issue of Ukraine, we are not an ally of Russia."

Pashinyan's response was a "turning point" for Armenian diplomacy, according to Anna Ohanyan, political science professor at Stonehill College specializing in South Caucasus politics.

The expert sees Pashinyan's meeting with Zelensky -- as well as Yerevan's pursuit of closer European integration -- as part of the country's push to reaffirm its sovereignty vis--vis Russian imperialism. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-05-23 10:18 PM

... Years of slowly growing tensions between Yerevan and Moscow have crescendoed in recent weeks as Armenia prepares for national elections on June 7. The competition is expected to be riddled with attempts by Moscow to exert its influence.

In April, Armenia hosted the European Political Community (EPC) summit. For comparatively small Armenia, historically aligned with Russia, it is difficult to overstate the importance of a diplomatic event that brought dozens of European leaders to Yerevan. The event was especially memorable as Volodymyr Zelensky became the first Ukrainian president in 24 years to visit Armenia.

A few days later, Pashinyan skipped his usual trip to Moscow for Russia's all-important May 9 Victory Day commemoration. Even as Armenia had begun to drift away from Russian influence in recent years, Pashinyan had continued to attend the symbolically important parade.

The next day, statements from Russian officials about Armenia became increasingly hostile. In reference to the EPC, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the meeting platformed "anti-Russian statements" with no balance provided by Armenia's leadership. He went on to say the event was "inconsistent with the spirit of relations" between Armenia and Russia.

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Armenia's fledgling EU aspirations, saying Yerevan should hold a referendum on the issue. But, tellingly, he also remarked, "We all see what's happening with Ukraine now. But where did it all start? With Ukraine's attempt to join the EU." ...