Russia has been Armenia’s reliable partner in the nuclear industry for decades. Over the course of these years, Russia has assisted its operation and maintenance, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing Thursday—and regarding the Metsamor nuclear power plant of Armenia.

“At the moment, we are working together to extend the plant’s operating period once again, until 2036. The thing is, sorry, such matters and topics are not something to joke about. These are not the kind of matters that you can, you know, raise today, start raising money for them tomorrow, lay some foundation, so to speak, the next day, and then simply leave it to the whims of fate, as they did in America in 2024. This is an issue of energy security. Do you understand? If the climatic situation were such that it was possible not to heat, or, for example, there were other sources of energy, perhaps, yes, it would be possible to treat it without due attention and responsibility. But we know what aid is, including humanitarian aid to the people of Armenia, what is, I don’t know, also the supply of warm clothes that people need, what is aid to families who cannot get not only comfortable, but simply basic conditions. After all, we [i.e. Russia] have also gone through all this,” Zakharova said.

The Russian MFA spokesperson emphasized that Russia is the only country in the world that uses small-capacity nuclear power plants and has offered partners tested solutions in all domains.

“There is a desire to somehow start to be interested in such matters from afar. It’s about our shared region. It's about energy security, which, you know, one can't just take and draw a line around, saying that this will definitely never affect the interests of the entire region," added Maria Zakharova.