Armenia to start EU membership bid process, defying Russian pressure over alliances

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Monday that Armenia will soon begin preparations to submit a formal application for European Union membership, addressing parliament in Yerevan. Pashinyan stated that Armenia must first file an official bid before evaluating the feasibility of membership through a referendum, adding that the process could start “in the near future.”

The move comes as Armenia seeks closer ties with the West amid strained relations with Russia, which has warned against deeper European integration. Moscow has demanded that Armenia hold a referendum on EU membership, arguing it is incompatible with its existing obligations to the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led bloc. Pashinyan countered that a referendum would only make sense after assessing the realism of EU accession, which requires submitting an application first.

Russia has increased pressure on Armenia, imposing import restrictions on key agricultural products and urging Yerevan to choose between Western and Russian alliances. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Monday that the trade and customs rules of the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union are incompatible, citing Turkey’s decades-long candidacy as a cautionary example. “I always recommend here that we keep in mind the experience of Turkey and a number of other countries, whose applications were submitted decades and decades ago, yet they’re still in the same situation today,” Peskov said .

Pashinyan also addressed Armenia’s participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-led military alliance. He told lawmakers he would be “very happy” if Armenia were expelled from the CSTO, as it would resolve the dilemma of whether to withdraw. “We will not intensify our activity within the CSTO,” Pashinyan said, noting that Armenia’s 2026–2031 government program explicitly states it does not intend to return to the organization in the next five years . Armenia suspended its CSTO membership in 2024 and has since halted contributions, with Pashinyan previously describing the alliance as a threat to Armenia’s security and sovereignty.

Armenia remains a formal ally of Russia, which maintains a military base in the country, but tensions have risen over Moscow’s perceived failure to support Armenia during its 2023 conflict with Azerbaijan. In June, Pashinyan hosted EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a summit, further signaling Armenia’s pivot toward the West.