Armenia’s likelihood of joining EU is close to zero – Sergey Stankevich

Speaking with Alpha News, Russian political analyst Sergey Stankevich commented on reports that Armenian authorities will intensify efforts to join the European Union if the ruling Civil Contract party wins the 2026 parliamentary elections.

According to the expert, Pashinyan’s goal is to secure financial support for his reelection, not EU integration.

“Pashinyan’s goal, when he makes such statements, is not actual integration with the European Union, but rather to secure EU funding for his party’s political activities, with the goal of reelection, which is, in fact, what he’s talking about. This is, so to speak, a campaign to mobilize resources for Pashinyan’s elections,” Stankevich said.

According to the expert, Russia is demonstrating a policy of strategic patience toward Armenia.

“It makes sense for Pashinyan to seriously prepare for his state visit to Russia. He plans to visit Moscow soon, where he will need to discuss both the current economic situation and the future, because Russia has repeatedly confirmed that it does not oppose its EAEU and CSTO partners engaging in multilateral relations globally. But combining membership in the EAEU and the EU is impossible: they are different systems with different economic and customs regimes. Therefore, a choice will have to be made, and it will have to be made very seriously and thoroughly, not only by Armenia’s current leadership but also by its responsible citizens. This situation does not affect relations with Russia for now, because Russia is demonstrating a policy of strategic patience toward Armenia,” Stankevich concluded.