Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan Rejects Russian Demand for Referendum

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said there are currently no grounds for holding a referendum on whether the country should remain in the Eurasian Economic Union or pursue European Union membership. Russia has demanded that Armenia hold such a vote.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected Russia's demand to hold a referendum that would allow Armenians to choose between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Union. According to Pashinyan, there are currently no grounds for conducting such a popular vote.

Armenia has taken a clear westward direction in recent years, increasingly distancing itself from Russia. Yerevan has strengthened ties with the European Union, and officials have indicated that the country seeks closer cooperation with the EU, including in visa-free travel and trade integration.

Relations between Armenia and Russia have cooled significantly over recent years. Pashinyan's government has criticized Russia for failing to come to Armenia's aid during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and again in 2023, when Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the region. These events have accelerated Armenia's turn toward Western countries.

The Eurasian Economic Union, whose central force is Russia, comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Russia has long used this structure as a tool to maintain its sphere of influence in the post-Soviet space. Armenia's potential departure from the EAEU would be a serious geopolitical setback for Moscow.