Medvedev warns Armenia of harsh fallout from economic split with Russia

Armenia could face a serious economic decline or even more severe consequences if it breaks economic ties with Russia, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has warned.

He made the remarks in response to a question from RIA Novosti in an interview focused on the consequences of the 2008 war in South Ossetia and Georgia’s rapprochement with Western countries.

According to Medvedev, the West “used” Georgia as a “blunt instrument of geopolitical struggle against us” and later “abandoned its stepdaughter to the mercy of fate.” He said the same fate awaits Yerevan, which has begun moving closer to the West.

“The European Union and the United States absolutely do not care about the well-being of the citizens of this country. As soon as Armenia ceases to be of interest to them as a battering ram against Russia, the Western weather vanes will instantly abandon all their promises, as if they had never existed at all. At the same time, an economic break with our country will cause a deep internal crisis in Armenia. And perhaps something even worse…” the Security Council deputy chairman said.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Yerevan to hold a referendum on withdrawing from the Eurasian Economic Union and joining the European Union, describing this as a condition for a “soft, intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce.” He also recalled the fate of Ukraine, whose conflict with Russia began after its attempt to join the EU.

On August 7, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France issued a joint statement expressing concern over a possible full-scale annexation of South Ossetia by Moscow. Representatives of the signatory countries said Russia’s actions “will not go unanswered.”

Relations between Russia and Armenia have sharply deteriorated in recent months amid Yerevan’s efforts to move closer to Europe and the United States. In response to what Moscow described as “unfriendly” actions by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russia launched a trade war against Armenia, while the EU subsequently allocated €52 million in emergency aid to Armenia to “strengthen economic resilience” and redirect its exports.

By Jeyhun Aghazada