Jump to content

[ Putin's ERA betrayal backstabbing] Big brother Russia


MosJan

Recommended Posts

Azatutyun.am

 

Russia Cautious About New U.S.-Armenian Agreement

Հունվար 14, 2025
 
image.png
Russia - A view of the Grand Kremlin Palace and Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin in Moscow, August 1, 2024.
 

Russia on Tuesday reacted cautiously to the impending signing of a U.S.-Armenian agreement on “strategic partnership” while warning of further damage to its relations with Armenia.

“It is the absolute sovereign right of our Armenian friends to develop relations in all directions,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “We continue to proceed from the main thing: we have our own bilateral relations with Armenia, we value these relations, and we intend to develop them further.”

Speaking to journalists hours before the scheduled signing of the agreement in Washington, Peskov said at the same time that the United States “has never played a particularly stabilizing role in the South Caucasus” and keeps “trying in every way to pull more and more countries into its wake.”

“The main thing is not what you signed or how you signed it but what stems from it,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a separate news conference in Moscow. “We also used the term ‘strategic partnership’ in a number of agreements with Western countries, but they never required one or another participant to act against a third party.”

Lavrov claimed that Yerevan will come under U.S. pressure to take such action against Moscow and, in particular, join Western sanctions imposed on Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, January 14, 2025.
Russia - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, January 14, 2025.

Armenian entrepreneurs have taken advantage of those sanctions by re-exporting goods to and from Russia. This has been the main driving force behind robust economic growth registered in Armenia for the last three years.

Russian-Armenian trade has skyrocketed since 2022 despite a deepening rift between the two longtime allies. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s administration has been seeking to reorient Armenia towards the West in response to what it sees as Russia’s failure to honor security commitments to the South Caucasus country.

Pashinian froze the country’s membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) a year ago. His government officially announced last week plans to join the European Union, prompting stern warnings from Moscow.

Lavrov repeated those warnings, saying that accession to the EU is “incompatible” with Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc that gives it tariff-free access to Russia’s vast market.

Still, the top Russian diplomat spoke of a continuing “dialogue” with Yerevan. He revealed that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has accepted an official invitation to visit Moscow.

“I hope that the visit will take place soon,” added Lavrov.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33275434.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawH0RbNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUg9Zhfo4eyTDO-IBm0lH26U5mvANKSNXRNfzSal4v44xCMoxLeixmyBIA_aem_zV_LSB13hW-8FYK4GU0OoQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eurasia Daily
Jan 15 2025
 

The Russian Ambassador was handed a note of protest in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia

January 15th, 2025
13:12
 

Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin was summoned to the republic's Foreign Ministry, the press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported. The diplomat was handed a note of protest.

In connection with the release of the Vesti of the Week program on the All-Russian State TV Channel of the Russian Federation on January 12, "during which artificially generated narratives directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia were voiced, the ambassador was summoned to the Armenian Foreign Ministry on January 15," the ministry said.

In this broadcast, presenter Dmitry Kiselyov commented on the dispute between Baku and Yerevan about the Zangezur corridor, as well as Armenia's desire for the European Union. The economic advantages that Armenia receives as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union were also mentioned. There was also a statement by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk that membership in the EAEU and EU incompatible.

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/01/15/the-russian-ambassador-was-handed-a-note-of-protest-in-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-of-armenia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eurasia Daily
Jan 19 2025
 
Russia and Iran will build a gas pipeline through Azerbaijan, and Armenia is out of the game: expert
 

Russia and Iran has agreed on a route for the construction of a gas pipeline through the territory of Azerbaijan. Russian President Vladimir Putin, following talks with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Peseshkian, confirmed that the gas pipeline construction project between the two countries is already under development. It is expected that the project will start with deliveries of up to 2 billion cubic meters annually with the prospect of growth to 55 billion cubic meters.

As the Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Vahe Davtyan (Armenia) writes in this regard, the demand for natural gas in Iran is growing from year to year. Despite the production of about 260 billion cubic meters of gas per year, Iran is facing a domestic gas shortage due to high consumption.

However, the Russian-Iranian gas pipeline has not so much economic as geopolitical significance. In fact, this is an important stage in the formation of a multipolar energy system. It acquires particular importance in the light of negotiations on the formation of a gas hub with the participation of Russia, Iran, Qatar and Turkmenistan (more than 50% of world production).

"Against the background of the implementation of such megaprojects, Armenia once again finds itself out of the game. The potentially advantageous geographical position remains unrealized due to the lack of a clear foreign policy strategy, especially in the direction of the North-South energy transportation route, which is gradually being formed through the territory of Azerbaijan," the Armenian expert states, writes VERELQ.

 

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/01/19/russia-and-iran-will-build-a-gas-pipeline-through-azerbaijan-and-armenia-is-out-of-the-game-expert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Armenpress.am

 
Politics14:25, 21 January 2025

Russia values ties with strategic ally Armenia, says Lavrov

Read the article in: ՀայերենРусский

Russia values ties with strategic ally Armenia, says Lavrov

Armenia is Russia’s natural strategic partner and Moscow seeks to develop good-neighborly ties, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

Lavrov, speaking at a meeting with Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan, said that 2024 wasn’t an easy year for the bilateral ties and Moscow wants to honestly discuss all issues on the agenda.

“I am sure we will constructively look into all existing issues. We have always valued our brotherly ties with the Armenian people, with Armenia, our natural strategic partner and ally. We are interested in strengthening and developing the centuries-old traditions of friendship and good-neighborliness,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov noted that bilateral trade has reached a record 12 billion dollars.

The Russian FM said that partnership within the Eurasian Economic Union has given impressive results in economic ties with Armenia.

He said Armenia and Russia will jointly celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory in WWII in May.

 

 

 

Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1210013?fbclid=IwY2xjawH9VpNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQrgjCvc4psbeAgPo8hg11cps8lfSUv1EA4_s9-RpxHkqy3R7431ceXXNA_aem_eQAlvj4S-UiizBkagI3CHQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eurasia Daily
Jan 23 2025
 
 
To live without Moscow is not to shave off a beard: Armenia suddenly remembered Russia
 

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in Moscow that his current trip had been preparing for three months, but was postponed for technical reasons. We believe that among the "technical reasons", the US elections also played a significant role. At first, Yerevan waited, counting on the victory of the Democrats, and then — in order to find out how to position itself under the new administration, the Voice of Armenia publication claims.

As a result, we came to the conclusion that it's time to remember about the strategic alliance with Russia not only in the economic sphere. Following the statements of Defense Minister Suren Papikyan in Yerevan, Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow also spoke about close bilateral relations, bilateral agreements, including in the military sphere, which was also confirmed by Sergey Lavrov.

The adoption of the draft law "On the beginning of the process of Armenia's accession to the European Union", Mirzoyan argued simply: some civil society structures collected the necessary number of signatures, the government could not but approve, the parliamentary majority will also approve and... And that's it. No, Mirzoyan, of course, did not say so directly, but with his whole appearance he made it clear exactly that.

"Voice of Armenia" reminds that Nikol Pashinyan also spoke on this topic at one of the government meetings, also after Trump's victory in the US presidential election.

He noted that after the approval of the bill by the government and its adoption by the parliament, it will be necessary to start working on a "road map" together with the EU, and even then issues of compatibility with the EAEU and so on will arise. That is, it will be a long process with many unknowns and uncertainties… As they say, in our "turbulent times".

It is noteworthy that the negotiations between Lavrov and Mirzoyan, the results of which can be assumed to be a voluntary-forced turn of Yerevan to Moscow, where Russian-Iranian negotiations took place, culminating in the signing of a number of bilateral agreements.

The layout is simple. The Biden administration felt some remorse for how it threw the ruling team of Yerevan, first with its persuasions to lower the bar on Karabakh, then with promises not to allow aggression against the NKR.

This allowed Pashinyan to hope that if Kamalla Harris wins, one can count on some new preferences from Washington, at least in the form of financial support. Hence the "pause" in the Armenian-Russian relations that Lavrov mentioned: in Yerevan they reaped financial dividends from the surrender of Artsakh (Nagorno—Karabakh - ed.), counting on new offerings.

But if Blinken and the campaign to some extent realized their guilt for the tragedy of the Armenian Artsakh, responsibility for what happened, bribes from Trump are smooth.

▼ читать продолжение новости ▼

 
 

 

His team does not bear any moral responsibility to Yerevan, Biden-Blinken is not responsible for the promises, pragmatic Trump is not going to break spears for Pashinyan. Moreover, Yerevan has essentially nothing to offer Trump. Unless, of course, Pashinyan intends to present Armenia to Trump as the 52nd or 53rd US state. After Canada and Greenland.

We can expect that there is a certain understanding in Yerevan that, whether the ruling team likes it or not, but real support in matters of ensuring the security of Armenia, and, consequently, its power, should not be sought in Brussels or in Washington, and in Moscow and Tehran.

By the way, some cooling in Azerbaijani-Russian relations is also connected not only with the disaster with the Azerbaijani plane, but also with the undercover regional processes.

Apparently, Ilham Aliyev understands that he should hardly count on a new aggression: he must be content with what he has already received from the ruling team in Armenia, and the fact that it is ready to give in to him of its own free will.

In the light of the Lavrov-Mirzoyan talks, one can also count on a new impetus in the development of humanitarian cooperation between Armenia and Russia in various directions. It should be noted that a lot has been done here recently by the Russian Embassy, the Eurasia Foundation, and the Russian House.

This is noticeable to the naked eye by the number of recently spent in Yerevan events, including of an international nature. Of the latter, we note the conferences of Pushkin scholars from different countries held under the curatorship of the Russian House, a competition and a solemn event-awarding of leading Russian teachers.

At the talks between the Foreign ministers of Russia and Armenia in Moscow, the need to deepen such cooperation was noted, although this annoys our "Westerners". And what, it seems, certain government structures, affected by inertial thinking, are not quite ready for yet, who have not yet figured out what and where the new winds of the expected changes are blowing.

P. S. A meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Ilham Aliyev took place in Davos, the press service of the President of Azerbaijan reports. Relations between Baku and Kiev in the political, economic, humanitarian spheres, as well as cooperation in the field of energy and regional security issues.

https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/01/23/to-live-without-moscow-is-not-to-shave-off-a-beard-armenia-suddenly-remembered-russia

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Asbarez.com

 
oo

Armenians Should Prepare for ‘Several Cold Winters,’ Lavrov on Yerevan’s Aspirations for EU Membership

 

image.png

The pipeline supply Russian gas to ArmeniaMoscow intensified its criticism of Yerevan’s efforts to garner membership in the European Union, with Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, signaling that Armenia’s population should prepare for “several cold winters.”

The comments were made during a press conference held on Friday, with the foreign ministry issuing a verbatim readout of Lavrov’s responses.

When Lavrov met Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in Moscow last week, his comments, during a joint press conference, were more tempered. However, answering questions from Russian journalists on Friday, Russia’s top diplomat outlined that Armenia’s survival essentially depended on Russia and the security and economic coalitions, of which Armenia is a member, it leads.

“Russian-Armenian relations are going through a difficult period. This is largely a consequence of the actions of the West, which last year increased pressure on Armenia, incited it to destroy traditional ties with Russia, and imposed values orientations that are foreign to the Armenian people,” Lavrov explained.

“Unfortunately, the republic often reacted favorably to the unsubstantiated promises of the United States and the European Union as a replacement for Russia for Armenia,” added Lavrov.

He asserted, however, that the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization is “the cornerstone of Armenia’s security,” adding that Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union “is the guarantor of its economic well-being.”

“We have repeatedly informed our Armenian colleagues that neither Washington nor Brussels really think about the fate and interests of their partners. The West is accustomed to perceiving them in an exclusively utilitarian way. Yerevan could not help but pay attention to the events that unfolded in Georgia at the end of last year,” Lavrov said, referring to the more pro-Russia political slant adopted by Tbilisi that resulted in EU sanctions.

“Probably, they have heard in Armenia the much-talked-about sarcastic statements about the ‘low cost’ to Europeans for the ‘project’ to ‘detach’ Yerevan from Moscow,” Lavrov said, adding that they have also heard “the advice to the Armenian population to be prepared for ‘several cold winters.’”

He pointed to a recent political assessment by Stratfor, a leading geopolitical intelligence platform, which this month forecasted that the new administration in Washington is not likely to have the same interest in Armenia as the previous one.

“Moscow has always valued and continues to value its fraternal relations with Yerevan. We consider the republic one of our natural strategic partners and allies. We are committed to the entire range of agreements with Armenia in the trade, economic and military-political spheres, formalized at the bilateral level and within the framework of common integration associations,” Lavrov explained.

The top Russian diplomat also emphasized that Moscow does not have a “hidden agenda” or clandestine “projects” that would “have a detrimental effect on the security or economic well-being of Armenia.”

Lavrov said that bilateral trade indicators economic cooperation attest to Moscow’s commitment to bolstering ties with Yerevan, adding that trade turnover in 2024 “set an absolute record.”

“By the way,” Lavrov said, “the volume of Armenia’s trade with the EU and the U.S., which are calling on Armenia to abandon the Russian market, is many times smaller and is also experiencing a decline,” he pointed out.

“We highly appreciate the results of Armenia’s chairmanship in the EAEU bodies in 2024,” the Russian foreign minister said. “There is no doubt that Armenia’s participation in Eurasian integration has largely ensured the rapid growth of its gross domestic product in recent years.”

“At the same time, we are forced to emphasize again: Eurasian economic integration and membership in the European Union are incompatible,” Lavrov stressed.

 

 

https://asbarez.com/armenians-should-prepare-for-several-cold-winters-lavrov-on-yerevans-aspirations-for-eu-membership/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIFZyJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSNAxAt7jwYGvRgsfL6svVD5E73RgafWgTEcKI3Zfviv-MPqEdApndqNXw_aem_qoSJiFXnm7evlXGzr0zLVg

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Commonspace.eu
Jan 29 2025
 

Russia threatens economic consequences for Armenia if it pursues membership of the European Union

 

Russia has warned the Armenian government of severe economic consequences if it pursued plans to move towards membership of the European Union. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk insisted on Wednesday that the EU  accession process will mark the beginning of Armenia’s withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc that gives Armenia tariff-free access to Russia’s vast market. “The outcome here is obvious: opening markets with the European Union will mean closing markets with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Russian news agencies quoted him as telling journalists.

The Armenian side know full well that the consequences will be like this. No one should have any illusions about this. People who claim in discussions going on in Armenia that some solution can be found  are miseading, to put it mildly, the Armenian people,” added Overchuk. Overchuk had already pronounced himself in this direction on 9th January just hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government endorsed a bill calling for the “start of a process for Armenia's accession to the European Union.” Armenian officials responded by saying that Yerevan has no plans yet to leave the EEU.

Pashinyan telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 17 to discuss the matter and made clear afterwards that his administration was pressing ahead with its EU membership bid. The Armenian parliament controlled by Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party is scheduled to debate the bill in question in the next weeks.

According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for over 41 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade in January-November 2024, compared with the EU’s 7.5 percent share. Armenia also buys the bulk of its natural gas from Russia at a price that is set well below international market-based levels.

Trade with Russia last year was $12 billion, which is several times more than the volume of trade that Armenia has with the EU,” stressed Overchuk. “At the same time, trade with the EEU countries is growing while with the EU it is decreasing, which characterises the real state of affairs in the economy better than other words”, he added.

Source: commonspace.eu with agencies
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Azatutyun.am

 

Russia Repeats Warnings To Armenia Over EU Entry Bid

Հունվար 29, 2025
 
image.png
Peru - Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk participates in the APEC Leaders' Informal Dialogue at the APEC Summit in Lima, November 15, 2024.
 

Russia again warned the Armenian government on Wednesday of severe economic consequences of its plans to seek Armenia’s membership in the European Union.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk reiterated that the accession process will mark the beginning of Armenia’s withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc that gives the South Caucasus nation tariff-free access to Russia’s vast market.

“The outcome here is obvious: opening markets with the European Union will mean closing markets with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Russian news agencies quoted him as telling journalists.

“They [the Armenian side] know full well that the consequences will be like this. No one should have any illusions about this. People who claim in discussions going on in Armenia that some solution can be found mislead, to put it mildly, the Armenian people,” added Overchuk.

Overchuk first issued such warnings on January 9 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government endorsed a bill calling for the “start of a process of Armenia's accession to the European Union.” Armenian officials responded by saying that Yerevan has no plans yet to leave the EEU.

Pashinian telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin on January 17 to discuss the matter. He made clear afterwards that his administration is pressing ahead with the EU membership bid. The Armenian parliament controlled by Pashinian’s Civil Contract party is scheduled to debate the bill in question next month.

According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for over 41 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade in January-November 2024, compared with the EU’s 7.5 percent share. Armenia also buys the bulk of its natural gas from Russia at a price that is set well below international market-based levels.

“Trade [with Russia] last year was $12 billion, which is several times more than the volume of trade that Armenia has with the EU,” stressed Overchuk. “At the same time, trade with the EEU countries is growing while with the EU it is decreasing, which characterizes the real state of affairs in the economy better than other words.”

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33295281.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIH5OtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHcfG0cdvkw6Q6tPI-guccS9jg7ez-T3MD0k_MCoJZYVxNd9pqOnsZJj5DA_aem_TejLAAgVKIIk0uQPW0sTrQ

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MediaMax, Armenia
Jan 31 2025

Russian experts warn of possible “fatal consequences” for Armenia


Yerevan /Mediamax/. Severing allied relations with Russia in the medium term may create strategic risks for Armenia’s national security and the existence of modern Armenian statehood.

This is stated in the analytical report of the Ye. M. Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations under the Russian Academy of Sciences entitled “Armenia’s Foreign Policy at the Crossroads: the Crisis of Multi-Vectorness.”

 

“The current Armenian leadership’s drift away from a multi-vector foreign policy and from full participation in the CSTO activities, and the unambiguous turn towards the EU and NATO, with the subsequent curtailment of the deep interdependence in the sphere of the economy and security between Armenia and Russia, brings the country to a point of historical uncertainty. Further development can follow two main scenarios.

 

If the Nikol Pashinyan-led government takes even more significant steps aimed at the total severing of allied relations with Russia, this is unlikely to yield significant benefits even in the short term, but in the medium term may create strategic risks for Armenia’s national security and the existence of modern Armenian statehood.

 

Underestimation of the probability of resolute actions by Armenia’s geopolitical opponents, as well as overestimation of the ability of the EU and NATO to ensure its security, in combination with utter disregard for the socio-economic consequences of such decisions, can entail “fatal consequences,” the report reads.

https://mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/56837/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Azatutyun.am

 

Russia Warns Of Armenia’s ‘Total Impoverishment’

Հունվար 31, 2025
 
image.png
Russia - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends a press conference held by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Nizhny Novgorod, June 11, 2024.
 

Armenia’s government risks plunging the country into widespread poverty with plans to seek its membership in the European Union, Russia said on Friday in yet another warning to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, spoke at length about Armenia’s economic dependence on and increased trade with Russia. Zakharova pointed to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk’s repeated warnings that an EU membership bid would mark the beginning of its withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc. She said the South Caucasus nation would thus lose access to Russia’s vast market vital for its economy.

“According to some estimates, the export of Armenian goods would shrink by around 80 percent,” Zakharova told reporters.

“Armenian products would face higher duties,” she said. “All this would lead to a sharp drop in the GDP growth rate … If we are talking about the scale of manufacturing, about the population of Armenia, this could simply lead to total impoverishment.”

Overchuk first issued such warnings on January 9 hours after Pashinian’s government endorsed a bill calling for the “start of a process of Armenia's accession to the European Union.” Armenian officials responded by saying that Yerevan has no plans yet to leave the EEU.

“We feel pretty good in the EEU,” Pashinian told a news conference on Friday. “The figures you cited speak for themselves. But at the same time, we cannot help but notice the desire of a part of the Armenian people to shape options for the future of Armenia.”

The Armenian parliament controlled by Pashinian’s Civil Contract party is expected to debate and adopt the bill in February. The premier said its passage will “not in itself mean Armenia's membership in the EU.” He again did not give details of his further steps. No EU member state has so far voiced support for Armenia’s accession to the 27-nation bloc.

“Russia, of course, has some concerns about the process, but our conversations have never been and will never be in the language of threats,” said Pashinian, who discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a January 17 phone call. He added that the “dialogue” between the two sides is continuing.

According to Armenian government data, Russia accounted for over 41 percent of Armenia’s foreign trade in January-November 2024, compared with the EU’s 7.5 percent share. Armenia also buys the bulk of its natural gas from Russia at a price that is set well below international market-based levels.

Pashinian and his entourage first floated the idea of an EU membership bid a year ago amid rising tensions with Moscow. Armenian opposition leaders have described the resulting government-backed bill as reckless and warned of its severe consequences for the domestic economy.

 

 

https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33298809.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIKkBpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWdO4i8EFAEX3dN2BdvOGecoaKL5DALCA1afjMaikeAqjPLJSvXV5LDQ-A_aem_-kgCvw-Ge7NKneu83lmTZA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...