Armenia's accelerated rapprochement with the European Union (EU) will have negative consequences for both the country’s allied relations with Russia and the development of integration processes in the post-Soviet space, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Russian foreign ministry’s department of European affairs, told TASS in an interview.

Commenting on Armenia's intention to join the EU, he noted that given the rapid transformation of the EU into an aggressive military and political alliance and its strategic course aimed at a confrontation with Russia, "Armenia's interest in joining this organization cannot but be of concern."

“We [i.e. Russia] hope that Armenia, as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union [(EAEU)], understands the possible negative consequences of accelerated rapprochement with Brussels, both for our allied relations and for the development of integration processes in the post-Soviet space,” Maslennikov said.

Also, the head of the Russian foreign ministry’s department of European affairs reiterated that Russia respects the sovereign right of other countries to participate in integration associations, and especially “their desire to receive additional opportunities for economic development and improve the well-being of their own population.”

However, the Armenian leadership “has clearly signaled its interest in maximizing rapprochement with the European Union.”

“In line with these efforts, in April 2025, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed the law ‘On the launch of the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union,’ which was previously approved by the [country’s] parliament,” Maslennikov recalled.

Thus, according to him, Brussels has already begun to “actively push Yerevan to adopt politically motivated EU standards that fundamentally ignore this Transcaucasian republic’s membership in the EAEU and the obligations associated with it.”

“The fact remains that simultaneous membership in both the EAEU and the EU is, by definition, impossible,” the Russian diplomat stated.