Armenia not involved in anti-Russian actions, says premier

Yerevan has not been involved in anti-Russian actions, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Friday.

The statement followed accusations by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu that Armenia had taken "a number of actions" that were "clearly unfriendly" and "inconsistent with the spirit of its allied relations" with Moscow, citing Yerevan's accession to the International Criminal Court, the extradition of Russian citizens to third countries, "the deliberate worsening of conditions for Russian economic operators," and "the use of the platform at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan by the Kyiv regime to threaten the Russian Federation."

Speaking at a briefing, Pashinyan said: "There are many people who want a crisis" in the Russian-Armenian relations, state news agency Armenpress reported.

Addressing Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), he said only Yerevan could decide whether to remain in or leave the bloc.

"We can discuss any questions that arise, and I assume our partners may have some, and we will respond to all of them patiently," he said.

Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Armenia in early May for a European Political Community summit, Pashinyan stressed that Yerevan is not Russia's ally on the Ukraine issue.

"They say the president of Ukraine visited Armenia. Excuse me — wasn't he supposed to visit Armenia? When Armenia was in conflict with Azerbaijan, didn't the president of Azerbaijan visit Russia?" he questioned.

Armenia hosted dozens of leaders in early May, including Zelenskyy, for the European Political Community summit, alongside a separate EU-Armenia summit in the capital Yerevan.

Addressing the summit, Zelenskyy warned that Ukrainian drones could fly over Moscow on May 9, when Russia was set to hold a military parade marking the 81st anniversary of victory in World War II.

Following the event, Armenia's ambassador in Moscow was summoned over Zelenskyy's remarks and informed of the "categorical unacceptability" of giving the Ukrainian president a platform to make what Moscow described as "terrorist threats" against Russia.