The EAEU or the EU? In Astana, Armenia was forced to choose between the two unions

The leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan issued a joint communiqué on Armenia's position on European integration. They supported the idea of ​​holding a national referendum in the country to determine its choice between joining the European Union and remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The document emphasizes that integration with the EU poses "significant threats to the economic stability" of EAEU members.

The current EAEU meeting in Astana is taking place against the backdrop of Moscow's trade war against Yerevan ahead of Armenia's parliamentary elections. This is Russia's response to the large-scale intergovernmental forum held in Yerevan on May 4—the European Political Community Summit, attended by approximately 50 heads of state and government from European countries, as well as Canada—and, more broadly, to the pro-European course of Nikol Pashinyan's government.

"We share the position on the need to hold a national referendum in the Republic of Armenia as soon as possible on joining the European Union or remaining within the Eurasian Economic Union," the statement reads.

In May of this year, Pashinyan stated that he did not consider holding such a referendum relevant at the current stage. However, he emphasized that the choice between the EAEU and the EU should ultimately be decided by the citizens of Armenia.

A report on the possible consequences of Armenia's withdrawal from the EAEU will be presented in December 2026.

Earlier, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, speaking at the Eurasian Economic Council summit in Astana, stated Yerevan's intention to continue its "constructive" participation in the EAEU, taking into account the national interests of all member countries.

Armenia's aspirations to join the EU were first announced in March 2024. In the first half of 2025, the country's commitment to European integration was enshrined in law. In January 2026, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reaffirmed the country's intention to become a full member of the European Union. Moscow, for its part, has repeatedly stated the impossibility of simultaneous membership in both the EU and the EAEU.

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