Moscow slams EU engagement with Armenia, says it has ‘a lot to offer’ instead

The European Union is engaging with Armenia primarily to escalate its standoff with Russia, a senior Russian foreign ministry official claimed on Tuesday, warning that Yerevan’s EU ambitions could have consequences for bilateral ties.

“Armenia’s going down the so-called European path may at some point lead to systemic changes in Russian-Armenian relations. And the EU offers no clear alternative in terms of security, economic stability, well-being and prosperity. Those are the very elements that make up a country’s sovereignty,” Mikhail Kalugin, the head of foreign ministry’s Commonwealth of Independent States Department, told Russian state news agency TASS.

He reiterated Moscow’s position that closer integration with the EU would seriously harm Armenia’s economy, as it would require leaving the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. “To put it simply, you can’t have your cake and eat it too,” he added.

Kalugin also said Russia “has a lot to offer” Armenia, including the construction of a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging Metsamor facility west of Yerevan.

“If the Armenian leadership so wished, [the new power plant] would meet the country’s energy needs for decades, if not a century, to come,” he said.

Earlier in February, Armenia signed a peaceful nuclear energy agreement with the United States that could see Washington provide a replacement for Metsamor.

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Kalugin further pointed to Russia’s role as Armenia’s largest trading partner and a long-standing security guarantor. He also addressed the issue of Armenia’s railway network, which has been operated under a concession by a Russian company since 2008.

In recent months, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suggested that Russia could sell the concession to a third country, arguing that its continued control deters foreign logistics operators. Moscow has rejected the proposal.

“We cannot agree with the claim that management of Armenia’s railways by a Russian company in any way limits the country’s competitive advantages. On the contrary, we are convinced that it enhances them,” Kalugin said.

Also read: Putin warns Armenia’s EU pivot could mirror Ukraine scenario

His remarks come days after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Armenia against deepening ties with the EU, linking Ukraine’s conflict to Kyiv’s European integration ambitions. Putin also suggested Armenia should hold a referendum to decide whether to remain in the Eurasian Economic Union or, as he put it, “divorce” Russia in a “civilized” manner.

Armenia’s parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan rejected that framing. “This is politics, and marital matters have nothing to do with it. We’re not seeking alimony or discussing child custody. We are against such rhetoric,” he told reporters in Yerevan.