Russia has expressed doubts about Armenia's commitment to its alliance with Moscow, criticizing Yerevan's closer engagement with Ukraine and the European Union while warning of the economic consequences of moving away from its traditional partner.

Speaking at a briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexey Fadeev said Armenia's "flirting" with Ukraine and efforts to deepen ties with the EU raised serious questions about its readiness for strategic allied cooperation with Russia. He argued that Yerevan was using the term "diversification" to conceal what he described as a shift away from Eurasian integration and its traditional partnership with Moscow.

Fadeev also accused the Armenian authorities of misleading the public about the potential costs of closer integration with the EU, arguing that the country's declining exports and trade with Russia reflected the consequences of changing foreign policy priorities rather than restrictions imposed by Moscow.

His remarks followed comments by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, who reported a sharp decline in bilateral trade, saying trade turnover had fallen significantly in 2026 and was expected to continue decreasing. Russian and Armenian officials are also continuing discussions on opening reciprocal diplomatic missions in Kapan and Vladikavkaz, although Moscow noted no timeframe has been agreed.

Separately, Armenian Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan discussed bilateral relations in a phone call with Valentina Matvienko, Speaker of Russia's Federation Council. Rubinyan expressed concern over what he described as unjustified restrictions on Armenian exports to the Russian market and called for the issue to be resolved in line with bilateral agreements and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) rules. The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining parliamentary dialogue and discussed Armenia's relations with the European Union.

The latest exchanges highlight the complex state of Russia-Armenia relations, with the two countries continuing dialogue on bilateral issues while expressing differing views on Armenia's evolving foreign policy and economic ties.