ASTANA: Armenia should hold a referendum on EU membership “as soon as possible,” President Vladimir Putin and three Russian-allied leaders said in a statement Friday, escalating pressure on Yerevan over its deepening ties with Brussels.
Armenia is formally allied with Moscow, but has been building ties with the European Union for years amid frustration over Russia’s perceived failure to protect it during conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan.
The Caucasus country froze its security ties with Moscow in 2024, and last year passed a law declaring its intention to seek EU membership, further angering Russia.
Armenia is still a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Russian-led customs union.
Putin said it was time for Armenia to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, insisting it was “impossible to reconcile the two.”
