MOSCOW (Realist English). Relations between Russia and Armenia have reached a critical point of public confrontation following an interview by the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, who accused the republic’s leadership of “dishonest” double standards.
Volodin stated that Yerevan is using Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) as a “springboard” for transitioning to the European Union (EU), while simultaneously hiding from its own people the catastrophic economic consequences of such a turn.
“Consumer Attitude” and the Price of Double Standards
Speaking in an interview with the Russia 24 TV channel, Volodin sharply criticized the course of the Armenian leadership, accusing it of inconsistency and dishonesty toward Moscow and its own citizens.
“The leadership of Armenia is behaving dishonestly, claiming that it wants to remain in the EAEU and maintain relations with Russia. What kind of relations? Consumer relations? Using our country to get through this stage and join the European Union? That is dishonest,” Volodin said.
The parliamentarian reminded that Yerevan has already adopted all the legal foundations for integration into the EU, yet continues to enjoy colossal preferences within the EAEU. According to Volodin, Russia opposes this “lies and double standards,” while “friendship is a two-way street.”
Volodin’s key argument is that the Armenian prime minister is “concealing from the republic’s population the real price of a break with the EAEU.” This concerns:
- Energy prices: In the event of losing EAEU membership, the price of gas for Armenia’s population would quadruple.
- Financial flows: The volume of money transfers from Russia, amounting to almost $4 billion per year (about 13% of the country’s GDP), would be under threat. Russia is Armenia’s largest trading partner, accounting for 36% of its trade turnover.
- Employment and status: Armenian citizens could lose migration privileges in Russia and have to switch to a patent-based employment system, complicating the work of hundreds of thousands of labor migrants.
The politician drew parallels with Ukraine, warning that Armenian products, including wine and agricultural goods, would become uncompetitive in EU markets, facing strict tariff quotas, similar to Ukraine.
Pashinyan’s Position: Sovereignty and Lack of Alternatives
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, commenting on the accusations in an interview with Armenian Public Television and Russian media, countered that Yerevan would continue a pragmatic line until the choice between the unions becomes inevitable.
Pashinyan acknowledges the formal impossibility of “dual membership” (“This is a serious challenge”) but refuses to hold an immediate referendum. He insists that the people should choose between the EAEU and the EU only after receiving official candidate status for EU accession and formally submitting an application.
“Today, this choice is purely theoretical, and putting a theoretical choice to a referendum would be unreasonable and unjustified,” the prime minister said. He emphasized that the country would continue “calm and stable work” within the EAEU.
Rhetoric vs. Reality
While Pashinyan speaks of playing the “long game,” economic statistics and Moscow’s decisions suggest otherwise. It is precisely Yerevan’s dual position that is leading to concrete losses:
- Trade collapse: Against the backdrop of political discussions about the EU, trade turnover between Armenia and Russia fell by 45.4% in 2025.
- Bans: At the end of May 2026, Russia imposed restrictions on supplies of Armenian agricultural products, fish, and dairy. Economists link this directly to political tensions.
- Vulnerability in numbers: According to Rosstat, Russia’s share of Armenian exports is 36%. Losing this market without immediate replacement in the EU is a direct threat to the dram’s exchange rate and living standards.
“Mold Dies in the Light”
The quintessence of Moscow’s position was Volodin’s remark about Pashinyan’s promise to pay for “every spoiled pepper” due to supply restrictions to Russia.
“Mold dies in the light. Pashinyan is using the EAEU to move to the European Union and is trying to solve all problems at the expense of the union, seeking to shift all the costs of joining onto Russia,” Volodin wrote on Telegram, commenting on the situation.
The rhetoric of the Kremlin and the State Duma is becoming harsher: Moscow is no longer ready to fund uncertainty. Pashinyan admits that his rhetoric regarding the EU is lies and demagoguery. But demagoguery and lies are already hitting the pockets of Armenian citizens.