Russia warns a country that depends on its gas that it will lose the preferential price if it chooses European integration: “There, the price structure is completely different”

The Kremlin said on Monday that Armenia could lose the “very advantageous” price it pays for Russian gas if it moves away from integration with Russia, Reuters notes.

Armenia is a member of a Russian-led economic union and is heavily dependent on Moscow for energy supplies. In recent years, however, Yerevan has tried to deepen its relations with the European Union, including by adopting, last year, a law that launched the process of joining the EU bloc.

“It is a very, very attractive and more than preferential price for Russian gas,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about relations with Armenia.

“But of course, such conditions are not available to participants in other integration frameworks. There, the pricing structure is quite different. It is based on market rules,” he added.

For his part, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoian stated that Armenia has no interest in breaking political and economic ties with Russia.

“We want and will try to preserve and deepen our normal relations,” he said on Monday in Yerevan, quoted by the Russian Interfax agency.

Putin wants a referendum in Armenia

Relations between Russia and Armenia, which hosts several Russian military bases, have further deteriorated since Azerbaijan forcibly recaptured the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region in September 2023, despite the presence of Russian peacekeepers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin brought up gas prices at a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in April, saying Yerevan was paying $177.50 for 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas, while the same amount would cost more than $600 in Europe.

“The difference is huge,” Putin said.

The Kremlin leader also told reporters on May 9 that it would be “logical” for Armenia to hold a referendum on its aspirations to join the European Union.

Armenia will hold parliamentary elections in June, with Pashinian's party facing several opposition factions, many of which favor a rapprochement with Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected on a visit to Armenia on Tuesday. Armenia strengthened its relations with Washington, both through military exercises and by signing an agreement in the nuclear field, according to AFP.

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