In what appears to be another overture to Russia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan informed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that he will attend the May 9 military parade in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Pashinyan confirmed his participation during a phone call with Putin, which the Kremlin stated was initiated by the Armenian side.
According to official readouts from both governments, Pashinyan also briefed Putin on the completion of Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations over a bilateral peace treaty. The Kremlin cited Putin as reaffirming Russia’s longstanding support for the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and its readiness to assist in that process.
“The two leaders also discussed some aspects of further developing mutually beneficial Russian-Armenian relations,” the Kremlin statement added. “The Prime Minister of Armenia confirmed his acceptance of the Russian President’s invitation and will participate in the May 9 jubilee celebrations in Moscow.”
However, Pashinyan’s press office made no mention of his attendance in its own statement on the conversation.
Over the past two years, Pashinyan’s government has distanced itself from Moscow, shifting Armenia’s foreign policy focus toward the West and causing an unprecedented rift with Russia. As recently as December, Pashinyan skipped high-level meetings in Saint Petersburg involving leaders of Russia and other former Soviet states.
Yerevan further underscored its Western pivot in January by endorsing a bill declaring the “start of a process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.” Despite warnings from Moscow, the Armenian parliament passed the bill in its first reading last month.
The final vote, expected earlier this month, was indefinitely postponed for what a senior pro-government lawmaker described as “technical” reasons. The delay has fueled speculation that Pashinyan and his allies are reconsidering the EU membership bid amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, including a thaw in US-Russian relations and the growing rift between the EU and the Trump administration.
Some analysts argue that the increasingly likely freezing of the Ukraine war could strengthen Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus. They also note that no EU member state has openly supported Armenia’s membership bid, raising questions about the viability of Yerevan’s European aspirations.
