MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the Armenian government on Friday of continuing to issue statements that damage bilateral relations between Yerevan and Moscow, singling out remarks by Armenian Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan as the latest example of what it called a sustained pattern of provocation.
Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a formal statement that Moscow was watching the trend “with regret.” The immediate trigger was a comment Simonyan made Wednesday, when he said Armenia was prepared to accept “a new wave of Russian citizens who want to avoid being sent to the front” — a reference to Russians seeking to evade military service in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“We note with regret that the trend of representatives of official Yerevan is continuing to issue public statements that undermine bilateral cooperation with Moscow,” Zakharova said.
She went further, framing Simonyan’s remarks as evidence of Yerevan’s broader strategic orientation. The Armenian official’s statements were, Zakharova said, “further evidence of Yerevan’s desire to serve the West and Kiev.”
The exchange is the latest episode in a sustained deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations — a breakdown that has unfolded with notable speed since Armenia began reorienting its foreign policy toward the European Union and away from Moscow-led institutions.
Armenia’s government under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has pursued European integration, signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with the EU, and distanced Yerevan from the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Armenia has boycotted CSTO meetings in protest at what it describes as the organization’s failure to defend Armenian territory during the 2020 conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.
For Moscow, each statement from Yerevan that references Russian draft evaders, Western partnership or EU accession represents a fresh signal of alignment loss at a moment when Russia’s alliances have been under intense strain. Russia’s military operation in Ukraine has complicated its relationships with several former Soviet states, some of which have quietly opened pathways for Russian citizens unwilling to serve.
Armenia’s position is sensitive precisely because it has become a destination of choice for Russians who have left since the September 2022 partial mobilization. Yerevan does not extradite Russian citizens, does not impose restrictions on their residency, and offers direct visa-free access. Simonyan’s statement that Armenia was “ready” to receive further arrivals was technically a statement of policy continuity — but its framing, explicitly referencing Russians avoiding frontline duty, was calculated to provoke.
Zakharova’s response reflected Moscow’s increasing frustration with Yerevan’s rhetorical approach. Russian officials have repeatedly accused Armenian leaders of misrepresenting the state of bilateral relations for domestic and Western audiences, and of deliberately adopting provocative postures to accelerate the break from Russian-aligned institutions.
What that break looks like in practice is clearer than it was a year ago. Armenia has launched EU accession consultations, received EU civilian monitoring missions on its borders with Azerbaijan, reduced participation in CSTO structures and declined to host Russian military exercises. The bilateral relationship retains significant economic dimensions — Russia remains an important trading partner and destination for remittances — but the political and security architecture that once defined it has been substantially dismantled.
Simonyan did not immediately respond to Zakharova’s statement. Armenian government officials have generally declined to treat Russian Foreign Ministry criticism as requiring reply.
Related Posts
