MP: Russia increasing pressure on Armenia as tensions deepen

Armenia's relations with Russia continue to deteriorate, with recent developments suggesting that tensions are intensifying rather than easing, opposition M Tigran Abrahamyan has said.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Abrahamyan, secretary of the Pativ Unem faction, pointed to the recent phone call between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the official statements that followed, as evidence that the two sides remain far from resolving their differences.

"While the Armenian authorities appear to be pursuing a policy of confrontation in a more restrained manner, Moscow is openly raising the stakes," he wrote.

According to Abrahamyan, Russia is seeking to make a referendum on Armenia's geopolitical alignment a key political issue, framing it as a choice between closer ties with the European Union and continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

He also argued that Moscow appears to have given Yerevan a limited window to respond to its demands, warning that Russia could adopt a significantly tougher stance if it does not receive the answers it expects.

"Amid mounting risks and numerous threats, it is ultimately ordinary citizens who are paying the price for the tough confrontation," Abrahamyan said.