The European Union (EU) is trying to weaken Armenia’s ties with Russia and strengthen its influence on Armenia. This was stated Tuesday by Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth CIS Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Russia.

“The declared goals, of course, may sound noble, but in reality the meaning of the [EU] missions [in Armenia] is obvious: to strengthen the European Union’s control over the sociopolitical life and economy of the [Armenian] republic, thus contributing to [its] distancing from Moscow,” Kalugin said in an interview with TASS.

He also drew attention to the fact that European representatives are purposefully shaping a negative image of Russia, presenting it as an opponent of Armenia’s independence. In addition, according to the Russian diplomat, the EU unfoundedly accuses Moscow of hybrid attacks and interference in Armenia’s internal affairs, while ignoring its own active participation in the processes taking place inside Armenia.

“And in general, the EU has repeatedly been caught trying to direct electoral processes in other countries. We see how some Armenian media outlets and officials join in spreading these messages,” Kalugin concluded.