EU Pushes New Sanctions as Armenia Defies Moscow
The European Union is preparing a new round of sanctions against Russia while stepping up political and economic support for Armenia, underscoring the widening divide between Moscow and one of its traditional allies. Recent EU measures target Russia’s banking sector, energy revenues and sanctions-evasion networks as Brussels seeks to increase pressure over the war in Ukraine.
At the same time, the EU has pledged more than €50 mln in emergency assistance to Armenia after Russia imposed new restrictions on Armenian exports. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Moscow’s actions as «economic coercion» and vowed support for Yerevan.
Relations between Armenia and Russia have deteriorated sharply since Azerbaijan regained control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has increasingly pursued closer ties with the EU and the United States, while freezing participation in Russian-led security structures.
The shift was reinforced by Armenia’s recent parliamentary election, which delivered a victory for Pashinyan’s pro-European party despite Russian political and economic pressure. Analysts view the result as a significant setback for the Kremlin’s influence in the South Caucasus.
Russia has repeatedly warned that Armenia cannot simultaneously deepen integration with the EU while remaining in Moscow-led economic alliances. Nevertheless, Yerevan has continued to pursue closer cooperation with Brussels, setting the stage for further tensions between the two sides.
