On May 18, Maria Zakharova, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, commented on an incident involving Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and an Armenian citizen, reacting to a public confrontation and the language used during the exchange.

Zakharova addressed the situation on her social media page, referring to remarks attributed to Pashinyan during the altercation with a female citizen. She wrote: "Pashinyan to an Armenian citizen: 'Be grateful that you didn't get your head smashed in the nearest restroom just now.' The visit of Macron and Zelenskyy to Yerevan did not pass without consequences—'European values' are clearly on display. Or rather, on the face," Zakharova stated.

The comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson came in the context of an incident that has been widely discussed in Armenian society, during which Pashinyan was reported to have engaged in a heated exchange with a female citizen, using harsh and threatening language.