Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Summons Armenian Ambassador Over 'Unfriendly Steps'

Armenian Embassy in central Moscow. AKfounder (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Russia on Friday summoned the ambassador of Armenia over "unfriendly steps," as Yerevan announced drills with the U.S. military and has grown increasingly critical of Moscow's role in the Nagorno-Karabakh standoff.

The move followed warnings by the Kremlin against conducting drills with the U.S. and mounting tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory. 

Yerevan, a traditional ally of Russia, has become more vocal in its criticism of Moscow's peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the Armenian leadership had in recent days taken a series of unfriendly steps."

These included "U.S. military drills on Armenian territory," a trip to Kyiv by the Armenian Prime Minister's wife and Yerevan's decision to join the International Criminal Court, it added.

The Foreign Ministry said the Armenian ambassador was given a "tough talk" but did not provide further details.

Despite the summoning, the Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia and Armenia "remain allies and all agreements on strengthening the partnership will be fulfilled."

Moscow also said it was "concerned" by the detention of an Armenian blogger and news commentator employed by its Sputnik media outlet. Yerevan later said it released the blogger.

Russia deployed peacekeepers to Karabakh as part of a Moscow-brokered deal to end the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Many of Russia's traditional allies in the former Soviet space have questioned Moscow's role after its full-scale Ukraine offensive.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more