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Russia Pulls Ambassador From Armenia After Putin Warns Against EU Alignment
Moscow said the move follows Armenia’s push for EU rapprochement as Putin warned of economic risks and threatened energy and trade measures.
On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin to Moscow for consultations, citing Armenian leadership's moves toward European Union rapprochement as damaging to the EAEU.
Friction has grown between the traditional allies since Azerbaijan regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, straining the Caucasus nation of around 3 million people despite its deepening Western ties.
At a summit in Kazakhstan on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Armenia against EU integration, invoking the "Ukrainian scenario" while a Moscow-led economic union threatened suspension for seeking membership.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed recent Russian threats to cancel a 2013 bilateral energy agreement, arguing European Union membership would eventually provide greater economic benefits than duty-free access losses.
Putin declared it "impossible to reconcile the two" economic blocs, urging a referendum as Armenia's Civil Contract party faces pro-Russian opposition in parliamentary elections scheduled for next month.