Past daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes as follows, in particular: Today, a meeting of RF [i.e. Russian Federation] President Vladimir Putin and [Armenian PM] Nikol Pashinyan is scheduled within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek.

Yesterday, RF president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov had noted that at the meeting to be held in Bishkek, Putin and Pashinyan will discuss the issue of a referendum on Armenia’s EU membership.

“We [i.e. Russia] cannot be more Armenian than Armenians themselves. And, of course, Armenians themselves will decide their fate. And we suggest that they do just that: hold a referendum,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Our sources in Russia note that the meeting to be held [in Bishkek] today will be quite heated, to put it mildly. According to information, today Pashinyan may be presented with a “package” containing certain ultimatum elements. That is, Nikol Pashinyan will be proposed to make a final decision: either to publicly abandon the goals of EU membership, or to declare on the spot the intention to hold a referendum [on the matter]. Intermediate solutions, according to our sources, are not acceptable to the Russian side.

According to our information, otherwise, specific steps will follow, which will be presented to Pashinyan. In particular, in the first phase, the deportation of about 170 thousand RA citizens living and working in the RF is planned (why exactly 170 thousand, our sources do not specify), a thorough ban will be imposed on all transport, including and especially air communications, and even any attempt to circumvent—with a shortcut—this ban will have severe criminal consequences. A ban will also be imposed on money transfers from Russia to Armenia. In the other phase, increases in [Russian] energy prices [in Armenia], in particular [natural] gas, will follow.

In short, today Nikol Pashinyan will face a serious dilemma.