"We will make this decision ourselves." Putin in the Kremlin put the question bluntly to Nikol Pashinyan, who held his ground with dignity

During this meeting, Putin effectively presented Armenia with a condition: the country would have to choose between deepening cooperation with the European Union and participating in integration structures linked to Russia, such as the Eurasian Economic Union. He emphasized that combining these two directions, in his opinion, is impossible.

At the same time, the Russian politician stated that Moscow allegedly takes a "calm" view of discussions in Armenia regarding the EU, but effectively warned of the consequences of such rapprochement.

Separately, Putin touched upon the topic of gas supplies. He noted that Russia sells gas to Armenia significantly cheaper than it does on the European market, and effectively hinted that energy cooperation could also become a tool of influence.

In response, Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia is a democratic country where decisions are made by the people:

"And when the processes reach a point where a decision needs to be made, I am confident that we, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, will make that decision."

He stated that as long as Yerevan can combine participation in the Eurasian Union with developing relations with the EU, the country will continue such a policy of balance. And if the need for a choice arises, this decision will be made by the citizens of Armenia themselves, without external pressure.

"We have municipal elections twice a year, which are also highly politicized, because as a result of our political reforms, people vote for or against political parties," Pashinyan said.

Putin also touched upon Armenia's internal political issues, specifically the participation of pro-Russian forces in elections and the detention of individuals with Russian citizenship, referring to billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. In response, Pashinyan referred to Armenian legislation, which does not allow individuals with dual citizenship to be nominated for parliament:

"Persons with Russian passports, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, cannot be candidates for deputies nor candidates for prime minister," Pashinyan explained to Putin.

During the conversation, he emphasized that Armenia has a free political system and no political prisoners, and also noted a high level of freedom of speech and internet. This was presented as a distinction from the situation in Russia.

"Our social networks, for example, are 100% free, without any restrictions," Pashinyan told Putin, hinting at recent attempts by Russian authorities to block messengers popular among Russians and not controlled by the Kremlin.

Also in Armenia, "there are no participants in political processes in places of deprivation of liberty," but "there are citizens who believe that there is too much democracy in Armenia. But for us, this is a matter of principle."

Separately, the geopolitical context was also discussed. Relations between the countries deteriorated after Armenia began to distance itself from Russia, especially after the conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh and, in Yerevan's view, insufficient support from Moscow. Armenia even suspended its participation in an organization considered pro-Russian, which further exacerbated relations.

• 82
• 0
• 1
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0