Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Armenia it cannot simultaneously pursue membership in both the European Union and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, underscoring growing tensions as Yerevan pivots toward the West.
The warning came as Armenia accelerates its foreign policy shift away from Russia, a move fueled in part by Moscow’s inaction during Azerbaijan’s 2023 operation to liberate Karabakh from Armenian occupation.
The former Soviet republic froze its membership of the Russian-led CSTO security alliance in 2024, and in the same year expressed an interest in joining the European Union, further deepening its rift with Moscow.
"We see that Armenia is discussing developing relations with the European Union, and we are completely calm about this," Putin said.
"But it should be obvious... Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible. It's simply impossible by definition," he added.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he was aware that being in the two unions was incompatible, but that pursuing both paths was possible "for now."
"When the processes develop to the point where a decision needs to be made, I'm confident that we, I mean the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, will make that decision, of course," he said.
Moscow and Yerevan are formally allies, but their ties have become increasingly strained under Pashinyan.
Armenia's foreign intelligence service warned earlier this year that "external actors" were trying to meddle in Armenian politics, in what analysts believe was a reference to Russia.
