Russia summons Armenian ambassador for consultations over country's closer ties with EU

Russia said it had summoned its ambassador to Armenia for consultations because of steps taken by Yerevan toward closer integration with the European Union.

According to Ukrinform, Reuters stated this in an article.

"The Ambassador of ​the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, ⁠S.P. Kopyrkin, has been recalled to Moscow for consultations in ​connection with steps taken by the Armenian leadership toward rapprochement ​with the European Union, " the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

The day before, on May 29, the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) also announced that it would consider suspending Armenia's membership because of its aspiration to join the EU and urged Yerevan to hold a referendum on the issue.

The same day, during a press conference following the EAEU summit in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin again warned Armenia about a possible "Ukrainian scenario" as a consequence of its European integration ambitions, according to The Moscow Times.

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"I have already mentioned this. The crisis in Ukraine once began with attempts to join the EU. We were not opposed to that," Putin said, distorting the causes of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and parts of the Donbas region.

Earlier, on May 10, Putin had also commented on Armenia's European aspirations, arguing that the Armenian authorities should hold a referendum on EU membership. He said such decisions require special consideration and that it would be logical to ask citizens for their opinion in order to pursue a "soft, intelligent, and mutually beneficial separation" between Russia and Armenia.

Although Armenia formally remains an ally of Russia, it has deepened ties with the West in recent years despite its economic dependence on Moscow. Public opinion polls ahead of the June elections indicate that the party of pro-Western Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is leading the pro-Russian opposition.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Russia has reportedly intensified covert efforts aimed at undermining Pashinyan's chances of reelection in June, fearing that his victory would further cement Yerevan's shift toward the West.