Strained Ties: Pashinyan Meets Putin Amid Escalating Tension between Allies over Nagorno-Karabakh and Western Leanings

During a visit to Moscow on Thursday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid escalating tensions between the former allies. These discussions took place after both leaders participated in a summit for the Moscow-dominated economic alliance, the Eurasian Economic Union, earlier in the day. The meetings followed Putin’s inauguration for his fifth term the day before. In his opening remarks, Putin noted that bilateral trade was increasing, yet acknowledged “some issues concerning security in the region.” Pashinyan similarly stated that “certain issues have piled up since [his] last visit” to Moscow in December. Armenia’s ties with Russia have been strained since last September when Azerbaijan launched a swift military campaign to retake the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, ending three decades of ethnic Armenian control there. Armenian officials accused Russian peacekeepers stationed in the area of failing to prevent Azerbaijan’s advance, while Moscow denied these allegations, claiming its soldiers did not possess a mandate to intervene. Russia has also been disgruntled by Pashinyan’s efforts to strengthen ties with the West and distance himself from Moscow-dominated defense and economic alliances. While Pashinyan was meeting with Putin, Armenia’s foreign ministry declared that it would cease contributing to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-led security pact. Armenia had temporarily halted its involvement in this alliance as Pashinyan tried to enhance relations with the EU and NATO. Moreover, Russia’s antipathy towards Armenia’s decision to join the International Criminal Court, which has charged Putin with alleged war crimes relating to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, has also contributed to the deterioration of their relationship. Despite these difficulties, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted on Tuesday that “there are certain issues in our bilateral relations,” but stated that “there is a political will to continue the dialogue.”