Russia is threatening Armenia with the suspension of oil and natural gas supplies at preferential rates if the country joins the European Union. The warning was sent in writing by the Russian Foreign Ministry, announced the ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, according to IPN.

Maria Zakharova confirmed that the Russian Embassy in Yerevan sent a letter on Wednesday, May 27, a letter warning Armenia that Russia would suspend or unilaterally terminate the 2013 agreement on the supply of natural gas, petroleum products, and diamonds if the Yerevan government continues its efforts to join the European Union.

The agreement eliminates export duties on Russian gas, oil, and diamonds destined for Armenia. Natural gas is now sold at a preferential price of $177 per thousand cubic meters. Moscow warns that abandoning this economic framework in favor of the European Union will force alignment with market prices, estimated at $600 per thousand cubic meters.

Although Armenia imports approximately one million tons of Russian oil annually duty-free, it is actively diversifying its energy sources through purchases from Romania, Egypt, Bulgaria, and, more recently, Azerbaijan. As for diamonds, although Moscow remains the main supplier, Yerevan uses these resources primarily for processing and re-export.

The shift away from Russia toward the West marks a fundamental change in Armenia’s foreign policy, accelerated by the tense regional context, including Russia’s war in Ukraine. In this regard, the Yerevan Parliament adopted in 2025 the legal framework for launching the procedure to join the European Union, a bloc that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan considers the country’s key partner.