Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Friday congratulated President Vladimir Putin on Russia Day amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
In a message published on the Prime Minister’s website, Pashinyan focused on concepts such as “independence, sovereignty and state interests” amid Russia’s economic pressure campaign on Armenia over its pursuit of closer ties with the European Union.
“This significant holiday embodies the responsibility of Russian citizens for the future of their country, as well as the aspiration of the friendly Russian people toward independently choosing their state’s path of development,” Pashinyan wrote.
So far, the leaders of Belarus, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Oman have also congratulated Putin on Russia Day.
Russian-Armenian relations have been deteriorating since the South Caucasus nation adopted a 2025 law initiating its EU accession process. On Sunday, Pashinyan’s ruling party won the widely observed parliamentary elections seen as a barometer of his pivot toward the West.
