Russia on Sunday accused Armenia of providing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy with a “platform for anti-Russian remarks”, in a new sign of the cooling of relations between Moscow and Yerevan, traditional allies, writes Reuters.
During a visit to Yerevan earlier this week, Zelenskiy said that Russia fears that “drones could fly over Red Square” in Moscow during the annual May 9 parade, traditionally organized to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War, notes Agerpres.
The parade took place on Saturday as planned, in a restricted format, without the usual parading of military equipment, due to fears of possible drone attacks from Ukraine, although it had announced that it would respect the truce. Initially, Russia had decreed a unilateral truce for May 8-9, while Kiev had announced that it was proposing a truce from May 6, but if Moscow continues its attacks, Ukraine could retaliate. To ensure peace at the parade on May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the American leader Donald Trump, who announced on the evening of May 8 a truce for the days of May 9, 10 and 11, indicating that both Russia and Ukraine had joined it.
“Armenia is drawn into the EU's anti-Russian orbit”
Moscow summoned Armenia's ambassador to Russia on Thursday to express its protest against what it described as “terrorist threats against Russia” made by Zelenskiy in Yerevan.
“This is not normal and does not correspond to the spirit of our relations with Yerevan,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies.
“The most important thing for us is that Armenia does not adopt an anti-Russian position,” Peskov said, adding that Russia is waiting for an explanation from Yerevan in this regard.
Russia had expressed concern on Thursday that Armenia was being drawn into what it described as the “anti-Russian orbit” of the European Union, after hosting a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) on May 4.
More than 40 European leaders, including Volodymyr Zelensky, participated in that event, followed by an EU-Armenia summit.
Relations between Russia and Armenia, which hosts Russian military bases, have become increasingly strained since Azerbaijan forcibly recaptured the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers there.
Putin threatens Armenia not to follow “Ukraine's path”
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia would agree to a “gentle divorce” from Armenia if the republic intends to join the European Union, but he did not hesitate to threaten it if it follows “Ukraine's path”, according to the Dialog.ua publication.
Armenian authorities should hold a referendum on EU membership so that the Kremlin knows how to structure its future relations with Yerevan, Putin said in a press conference after the May 9 parade in Red Square.
His conciliatory tone was immediately followed by a threat to Yerevan, the Russian president claiming that “and what is happening now in Ukraine” began with “Kiev's attempt to join the EU”, notes the quoted Ukrainian publication.
Replica of Yerevan
At their recent first joint summit, Armenia and the European Union adopted a 44-point declaration, in which Brussels acknowledged the aspirations of the Armenian people to join the EU.
Yerevan's reply to Putin's request to decide more quickly with whom to go, with Russia or the EU, came on Sunday, through the voice of the Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoian. Yerevan will take a decision on European integration when it deems necessary. Armenia currently remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, but its European aspirations have not disappeared, he said, according to the Dialog.ua publication.
