Yerevan Is Preparing For A Complete Break With Moscow
- 26.09.2026, 17:07
The EU is providing assistance in this country.
Russia has threatened to completely halt gas supplies to Armenia starting November 1. Analysts note that Moscow has presented Yerevan with four political demands and, should Yerevan refuse to comply, has promised to cut off the country’s fuel supply. Yerevan has stated its readiness to diversify its gas supplies.
What lies behind Moscow’s gas pressure, and will Yerevan be able to completely replace Russian gas? Find out on FREEDOM political scientist and expert at the Armenian Council Robert Gevondyan.
“If we theoretically assume that this is possible—and it cannot be ruled out, since Armenia is in a state of hybrid war with the Russian Federation—it must be said that Armenia does have alternatives when it comes to gas. First and foremost, Iran. Although Armenia still has the option to purchase gas from both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan,” said Gevondyan.
Regarding the levers of influence over Armenia that still remain in Russia’s hands, the political scientist noted: for now, the Armenian economy remains heavily tied to the Russian economy.
- Not only in the field of nuclear energy. Armenian business is geared toward the Russian market, and the Armenian government faces a very large and very complex task in transforming these dependencies,” Gevondyan noted.
Meanwhile, the Council of the European Union has officially approved the temporary suspension of import duties on approximately 80% of Armenian exports for a period of two years. This measure, according to the political scientist, is very important for Armenia.
“Our European colleagues have taken a very important step toward diversifying the Armenian economy and reducing Russia’s economic pressure on Armenia. But this does not mean we should sit idly by. We must work. We must raise the quality of Armenian products. I see that the Armenian government is, to some extent, working on this issue,” the political analyst emphasized.
At the same time, he noted that this EU measure, which Yerevan can currently take advantage of, is not permanent, and the time will come when Armenia will have to work with the European Union just as other countries do.
“We’ll need to export what the European Union needs and what the EU considers acceptable for its market. So our work here is very important.” It is also very important to take advantage of the situation that has arisen because Russia has been maintaining its sanctions policy against Armenia for a long time. Here, we face both challenges and opportunities. And thank you to our European colleagues for providing additional opportunities to address these challenges,” the political analyst noted.
He also believes that Pashinyan’s political course on this issue is the right one. As is the fact that Armenia remains in the Eurasian Economic Union for now. The political analyst is convinced that this is currently beneficial for the country.
“At this point, we are not yet ready to leave the Eurasian Economic Union. But we are working to make our economy more diversified. When the time comes, I hope the Armenian government will have the courage to break these Russian chains. And these are very real chains, because there are so many opportunities that we’re not taking advantage of precisely because we’re in the Eurasian Economic Union,” said Gevondyan.
Geopolitical factors are also very important, the political analyst believes. Not everything depends solely on Armenia.
“It’s very important how Ukraine will resist Russian aggression in the future. What the situation will be specifically on the front lines, and what additional levers and resources Russia will have to strengthen its influence over Armenia—its influence within the framework of a hybrid war against Armenia. What further opportunities will we receive from the European Union, the United States, and so on? In other words, this is a multifaceted and very complex network of interrelated factors,” the guest concluded.