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.

Russia sharply criticized Armenia on Thursday for drawing closer to the EU, saying it was not pursuing a balanced position towards Moscow and was

The Belarusian leader said that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to inform the world community about this