Russia warns Armenia about difficulties in accessing the EU market
Quick Look
- Director of the Department of European Problems of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladislav Maslennikov said that the EU internal market is competitive and regulated, so there will not be comfortable conditions for Armenian products there.
- He also recalled that the process of accession to the EU for candidate countries could last for decades, despite the financial support announced by the EU for Armenia in the amount of 50 million euros.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Armenia began the formal process of joining the European Union after parliament passed a law in March 2025. Russia, being a member of the EAEU, expressed concern about the incompatibility of simultaneous participation in the customs union and the EU.
The internal market of the European Union is competitive and regulated; there will be no comfortable conditions for Armenian products there, Vladislav Maslennikov, director of the Department of European Problems of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“The harsh reality is that the EU’s internal market is very competitive and regulated, and Armenian products will definitely not be welcomed there with open arms,” Maslennikov said.
At the same time, the diplomat recalled, candidate countries, as practice shows, can wait not even for years, but for decades.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in June that the European Union is working on a package of support measures for Armenia, which, in particular, includes 50 million euros of financial assistance.
In March 2025, the parliament of the republic adopted a law on the beginning of the process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union. The Russian side noted that being in a customs union with both the EU and the EAEU is impossible.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The process of Armenia's accession to the European Union will take several years due to bureaucratic and regulatory barriers
Likely · Within years
Armenia will face pressure from Russia due to the incompatibility of participation in the EAEU and the EU
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- How does Armenia plan to combine its obligations to the EAEU and its desire for integration with the EU?
- What specific support measures, in addition to financial assistance of 50 million euros, does the EU package provide for Armenia?
- How will other EAEU member countries react to Armenia's potential departure from the union in favor of the EU?
