During his visit to Denmark, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed Armenia’s ongoing optimism regarding potential military support from the European Union. Pashinyan highlighted Armenia’s anticipation for the European Union’s decision on Armenia’s inclusion in the European Peace Facility (EPF) during a panel discussion at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
However, the allocation requires unanimous support from all EU member states. Reports indicate that Hungary has been vetoing the decision, insisting on similar aid for Azerbaijan. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan’s recent visit to Budapest didn’t yield any explicit mention of the EPF assistance, nor did it arise during a joint news conference with Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto on May 6.
Pashinyan refrained from specifying whether Armenia is actively working to persuade the Hungarian government, which has historically supported Azerbaijan, to withdraw its objections to the EU aid intended for establishing medical facilities for a battalion-size army unit.
Emphasizing Armenia’s commitment to diversifying its foreign relations, Pashinyan underscored the significance of the EU’s monitoring mission along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, describing it as the first instance of EU involvement in Armenia’s security agenda.
Meanwhile, Russia has consistently criticized the EU mission, viewing it as part of Western attempts to diminish Russian influence in the South Caucasus. Tensions between Russia and Armenia have escalated in recent times, with Pashinyan even threatening to withdraw Armenia from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization.
