
ArmInfo. The actions and decisions of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, aimed at rapprochement with the EU, are leading to a split in society, which is fraught with serious problems. As Interfax reports, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin wrote about this on his channel in the Russian app Max.
He called the loss of unity the greatest possible loss for Armenia, noting that this is precisely where problems began in many countries.
Volodin drew a parallel with Ukraine, particularly with the events of 2014, and recalled the Baltic states, for whom, in his opinion, the desire to join the EU has not brought happiness. Amid talk of Armenia's aspirations to join the European Union, the State Duma speaker noted that mutual trade between Armenia and Russia had fallen sharply-by 45.4%-emphasizing that this negative trend continues. According to Volodin, Russian citizens working in Armenia and building businesses there have begun to close down their enterprises. "They are leaving due to the current situation of uncertainty about the future and the problems that may arise," the Russian official wrote. Citing expert estimates, Armenia's withdrawal from the EAEU could cost it a loss of 15-20% of GDP-at least $5 billion. "The losses will be greater. And not all of them are financial.
We are already seeing attempts to rewrite history and undermine national and traditional foundations. Western liberal values are being imposed on the Armenian people, and the church is being persecuted. Choosing a path is, first and foremost, a choice based on the will of the people. No matter what position a politician holds, they must be guided by this," Volodin emphasized.
It is worth noting that, according to the Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia, mutual trade between Armenia and Russia declined by 38.3% in 2025, reaching $7.6 billion. Exports declined by 6.9% to $2.9 billion, while imports fell by 49.2% to $4.7 billion.