Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Wednesday that joining the European Union was “simply impossible” for Armenia since it is already a member of a customs union with Moscow.
Putin explained during a meeting at the Kremlin with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that being a member of both the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union was “impossible by definition.”
He acknowledged that nations strive for maximum benefits in cooperation with other countries, but insisted that such arrangements must be “clear, honest, and agreed upon from the outset.”
Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus with a population of roughly 2.7 million, became a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in 2015.
In recent years, however, Armenia has been distancing itself from Moscow, an ally long known for supplying it with weapons and maintaining a military base within its borders.
Yerevan has voiced dissatisfaction with Moscow for failing to adequately back Armenia in its disputes with neighbouring Azerbaijan, particularly during the armed conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and 2023.
In Spring 2025, the Armenian Parliament passed legislation initiating talks on joining the EU, a rival power to Russia in the region.
On Wednesday, Putin expressed hope that “pro-Russian” political movements would participate in Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June.
He said Russia “would very much like” these parties and politicians to be engaged in domestic political processes during the upcoming elections.
