Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clashed on September 2 over Armenia’s plans to deepen ties with the European Union at a meeting in Bishkek, with Putin pressing Yerevan to clarify whether it intends to leave the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union.

Putin said Armenia’s decision to begin an EU accession process risked undermining its position in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while Pashinyan argued that Yerevan had not committed to leaving the bloc and was seeking to give Armenians greater strategic choice.

The disagreement highlighted tensions between Russia and its traditional ally as Armenia seeks closer ties with the EU while maintaining extensive economic links with Moscow.

“We have always advocated and continue to advocate the development of friendly, mutually beneficial relations with Armenia, based on the principles of strategic partnership and allied relations,” Putin said at the start of the meeting, according to a transcript published by the Armenian prime minister’s office.

He acknowledged Armenia’s right to pursue EU membership, saying: “Armenia is a sovereign state, and the Armenian people will determine the direction of its development.”

But he immediately warned that the two economic blocs were difficult to reconcile.

“Armenia's aspiration to join the EU is the natural, legal right of the country and its people,” Putin said. “However, this certainly creates difficulties in terms of being in the Eurasian Economic Union and threatens to nullify the Republic's advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union market and disrupt the established trade chains.”

Putin said Russia needed greater clarity from Yerevan because Armenia remained deeply integrated with the EAEU. Russia is Armenia’s biggest trade and economic partner, accounting for about 30% of its trade, while bilateral trade turnover reached $2.5bn in the first half of this year, he said.

He also pointed to the economic benefits Armenia had derived from more than a decade of Eurasian integration.

“Over the course of more than 10 years of participation in Eurasian integration processes, Armenia's GDP has almost tripled,” Putin said, citing an increase from $10.6bn in 2015 to $29.2bn in 2025.

“Exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union have increased 10 times,” he added, saying the bloc now accounted for about 36% of Armenia’s foreign trade.

Putin said Moscow respected any decision by the Armenian people but needed to understand the implications for economic relations.

“Whatever Armenia decides, so it will be,” he said. “But we must align our trade and economic policy with those possible decisions, and we would like to ask you to clarify this issue as soon as possible.”

Pashinyan, however, rejected the suggestion that Armenia’s EU accession law amounted to a decision to leave the EAEU.

“We are interested in further developing and deepening our relations with the Russian Federation,” Pashinyan said, arguing that regional circumstances had changed since Armenia and Russia developed their existing relationship.

“Relations between Russia and Armenia had a different meaning in a conflict situation, and now, when peace has been established in the region, it seems to us that it is necessary to look at the situation with a fresh eye,” he said.

Pashinyan said Armenia had carefully examined its existing obligations to Russia and the EAEU and had found no breach.

“We have analyzed the existing contractual framework between the Russian Federation and Armenia, as well as the contractual framework within the Eurasian Economic Union,” he said. “Frankly, we have not found any violations of the obligations that Armenia has towards the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union.”

He pointed to the EAEU treaty’s provisions governing withdrawal, saying a member state was required to give six months’ notice.

“At the moment, we have not informed our partners that we are going to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union,” Pashinyan said.

The Armenian prime minister added that the country’s legislation was intended to preserve options rather than make an immediate strategic choice. “Especially in the current international situation ... it is considered a legitimate goal to have alternatives for the state, the country,” he said.

“This does not mean that we are dissatisfied with the Eurasian Economic Union,” Pashinyan added, while acknowledging that “there are many working issues in the EAEU”.

He said Armenia had not yet reached the point where it needed to decide between the two blocs.

“I think, and I say this publicly, that we understand that the time will come when it will be necessary to make a very clear choice,” Pashinyan said. “Our position is simply that at this moment that time has not yet come.”

He added: “When it is created, if it is created, then, of course, we will make a choice, through a referendum or without a referendum.”

Putin pressed him on the referendum issue, arguing that the choice could be put directly to voters.

The two leaders also discussed Russian companies operating in Armenia. Pashinyan said their role was significant but argued that Moscow should distinguish between successful firms and those struggling in the Armenian market.

“Many Russian companies operate very successfully in the Republic of Armenia, they are highly profitable companies,” he said. But “there are also companies that, unfortunately, are not profitable and are not developing.”

“This is a problem for both Armenia and the Russian Federation,” Pashinyan said.

Putin also warned that closer Armenian integration with the EU could create practical problems for Russia, particularly because of differences between EU and EAEU regulations and standards.

“Issues related to regulations, for example, those related to agricultural products, the regulation of various technical norms and standards, do not coincide at all in the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU,” Putin said.

He warned that EU goods and services could potentially enter the Russian market through Armenia, creating “thousands of questions”.

The meeting ended without resolving the central disagreement: Moscow wants clarity on Armenia’s long-term alignment, while Yerevan says it is not yet ready to choose and wants to retain both its Russian economic links and the possibility of closer integration with Europe.

The two politicians previously clashed at a meeting in Moscow on April 1, when sharp differences emerged over elections, security ties and Armenia’s geopolitical direction.

Armenia's recent general election, which delivered another term for Pashinyan's Civil Contract party, was marred by allegations of Russian interference including economic pressure, prompting the EU to allocate funds to help Yerevan counter hybrid threats.