FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Russia has hardened its tone in the dispute over Armenia's rapprochement with the European Union. A clear warning came from the Kremlin. Putin also referred to the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has hardened his tone in the clash over Armenia's rapprochement with the European Union (EU). He even drew parallels with the war in Ukraine. After a European summit held in Yerevan, the Kremlin warned of the consequences of a change of course by Armenia towards the West.
" Such a course will inevitably lead to negative political and economic consequences for Armenia ," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, according to Reuters.
Moscow accuses the Armenian leadership of increasingly moving towards "aggressive Euro-Atlantic standards." According to it, this is pulling the country further into an "anti-Russian orbit."
Relations between Armenia and Russia are deteriorating
Relations between Armenia and Russia had been strained since Azerbaijan recaptured the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. Armenia accused the Kremlin of failing to adequately protect the country, despite the presence of Russian peacekeeping troops stationed there. In 2024, against this backdrop, Armenia announced its withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Russian-led military alliance.
Now, Armenia’s rapprochement with the EU is causing new tensions. Putin called on Saturday (May 9) for the Armenian people to vote in a referendum on possible membership in the European Union. That “would be completely logical,” the Kremlin leader said. Depending on the outcome, Russia would then make “its own decision ,” AFP quoted Putin as saying. According to the Kyiv Post, Putin warned Armenia to make a decision “as soon as possible.”
After the Yerevan summit, Putin openly threatens
Putin hinted at possible consequences by drawing a pointed comparison with the war in Ukraine. “We are all seeing now everything that is happening in the direction of Ukraine. But how did it all start? With Ukraine’s attempt to join the EU,” he said, according to AFP. At the same time, the Russian president also mentioned the possibility of a “soft, civilized and mutually beneficial separation” between Moscow and Yerevan.
The fact that the latest EU summit was held in the Armenian capital appears to have further irritated the Kremlin. Among the leaders attending the European Political Community (EPC) summit was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Russian Foreign Ministry called his presence in Yerevan “categorically unacceptable.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declared, according to the Kyiv Post, that Armenia “is not an ally of Russia on the Ukrainian issue.” He added that the country has continued to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine. /Adapted from Pamphlet /
Keta kokegdhenj mendje thare nga ngrica duan te dalin patjeter ne vende me te ngrohta. Mallkuar kush iu dha bomben berthamore se do kishin perfunduar ne Oqeanin e ngrire te Veriut.