Russia Criticizes Armenia Over Hosting Ukrainian President Zelenskiy

The Kremlin has accused Armenia of providing a platform for anti-Russian remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during his recent visit to Yerevan, signaling a further deterioration in relations between the two allies.

Key points

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Armenia's decision to host President Zelenskiy for anti-Russian statements is inconsistent with the spirit of their bilateral relations.
• Russia has summoned the Armenian ambassador to protest what it termed as terrorist threats made by the Ukrainian leader while in Yerevan.
• Moscow expressed concern over Armenia's increasing alignment with the European Union following a recent European Political Community meeting.
• Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not attend the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow, citing the start of an election campaign.

Why it matters

The diplomatic friction highlights the growing strain in the traditional alliance between Russia and Armenia as Yerevan pursues closer ties with the European Union.