Beyond Gas and Oil: Armenia's Reputation as Russian Ally Erodes

Potential visa restrictions for Russian citizens could lead Armenia toward total political and economic isolation, according to Lyudmila Adilova, a professor at the Russian State University for the Humanities and a senior specialist at the MSU Information and Analytical Center. This assessment follows statements by Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, who noted during the Eastern Economic Forum that such measures would constitute a move primarily detrimental to Yerevan's own interests rather than those of Moscow. Adilova argues that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's foreign policy mirrors the trajectory of Ukraine's leadership, creating a risk of severing essential links. According to the expert, this shift threatens Armenia's status as a friendly state and its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).