AZE.US
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has ruled out Armenian support for sanctions against Russia, saying Yerevan will not enter what he described as a sanctions regime against Moscow.
Pashinyan said Armenia must also avoid actions that could bring sanctions pressure on itself, arguing that the country does not have Russia’s capacity to absorb such a blow.
“We have stated that we will not enter the sanctions regime. But we also will not take steps so that we ourselves do not fall under sanctions. Unlike Russia, Armenia will not withstand sanctions,” Pashinyan said, according to Russian media reports citing Interfax.
The comments come as Armenia continues to navigate a difficult position between its long-standing economic and security ties with Russia and its increasingly active political dialogue with the European Union.
Pashinyan said European officials had previously raised concerns that Armenia could be used to help Russia bypass sanctions. According to him, Yerevan invited European specialists to review the issue, and they later recorded in writing that Armenia was not helping Moscow evade restrictions.
The Armenian prime minister also rejected the idea that his government was seeking escalation with Russia. He said there was no “conspiracy” or counteraction in Yerevan’s policy and argued that Armenia needed alternatives, including ties with the EU, the Eurasian Economic Union and other formats.
You May Like:
Pashinyan’s Choice: Cheap Russian Gas Or Expensive European Freedom
At the same time, Pashinyan accused opposition figures of trying to create tension between Armenia and Russia. He named former President Robert Kocharyan, Strong Armenia bloc leader Samvel Karapetyan and Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan among those he said were attempting to provoke a conflict with Moscow.
“They are doing everything to provoke a conflict with Russia,” Pashinyan said, adding that Armenia would not quarrel with Russia because such a dispute was not “within the scale” of a small country.
His remarks follow a renewed debate in Armenia over the country’s future in the Eurasian Economic Union. Pashinyan said earlier that Yerevan does not currently plan to raise the issue of leaving the bloc, unless an objective need emerges.
Kocharyan, who is also positioning himself as a contender for Armenia’s premiership, said on May 11 that relations between Yerevan and Moscow had reached “a certain point of no return.” He accused the current government of pursuing a geopolitical turn toward the EU without clear prospects of actual accession.
For the South Caucasus, Pashinyan’s statement signals that Armenia is not ready for a clean break with Russia, even as it keeps expanding its Western track. Yerevan is trying to preserve room for maneuver: avoiding sanctions exposure, keeping economic channels with Moscow open and maintaining political dialogue with Europe.
That balancing act may become harder as pressure grows from both directions. Armenia is no longer moving as a predictable Russian ally, but it has also not become a fully anchored Western partner. For now, Pashinyan’s message is cautious: Armenia wants alternatives, but not at the price of a direct confrontation with Moscow.
AZE.US