Ruslan Kutayev, President of the Caucasus Peoples' Assembly, who found himself at the center of a scandal over his statements about LGBTQ+ individuals and so-called "honor killings," will remain on the current Platform of Russian Democratic Forces at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), despite the angry reaction of critics and their demands for his expulsion.
Following Russian pressure on Armenia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the EU to "think more about security" and not abandon the peoples of countries that could suffer because of Russia. Zelenskyy noted that "Russia is now threatening other neighboring countries, much more openly than before."
"Everyone in Russia's neighborhood has heard the words about Armenia, whose people are the only ones who have the right and will choose the future of their country. What Russia says about Armenia is not just about Armenia. We must all think more about security and take more joint steps. No one can be left without support. Europe has no right to lose any people, to neglect any country: Armenia must be supported, Moldova must be supported, the Baltic states, and Azerbaijan must be supported. We must find ways to support the people of Georgia, and this is a shared European task," Zelenskyy said.
As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking earlier about Yerevan's need to choose between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the EU, stated that Armenia's European aspirations resemble Kyiv's actions. He stated that the crisis in Ukraine began with attempts to join the EU.
Furthermore, Reuters, citing sources in Western intelligence agencies, reported on Putin's plans to relocate approximately 100,000 Russian Armenians to Armenia to participate in parliamentary elections and vote against the party of incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 7.