Ursula von der Leyen To Visit Armenia Next Week As Pro-EU Aspirations Ramp Up

Brussels is eyeing Armenia as the small Caucasus nation has lately made it's pro-EU aspirations known, given just earlier this month Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party won parliamentary elections, in a vote widely seen as signififying its major pro-Western shift.

Pashinyan had claimed a "historic victory that will ensure Armenia’s eternity and development" while also vowing to "continue the course of rapprochement with the West" - but while balancing the pursuit of positive relations with Russia.

And now, just days after the result was confirmed, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is preparing to travel to Armenia next week, Politico reports.

The EU delegation is expected to be high-level, given it will include Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos in a high-profile show of support fo Pashinyan after his pro-European party secured the decisive victory.

"We have seen the country under intense and consistent pressure from Russia; a visit would send a strong signal of support, following on from the concrete support already delivered," said one EU official working on the prospective trip, as quoted in Politico and Armenian media.

Anonymous EU officials indicated to Politico that the visit would send the message that "Europe is here for you."

Notably this will be von der Leyen's second to Armenia in less than two months. The Commission president was in Yerevan just in May for the European Political Community summit, which took place in Yerevan, before participating in the inaugural EU-Armenia summit.

The Kremlin itself has also pounced on this theme of Armenia as the next potential ground zero for a tug of war with EU/NATO interests - a familiar theme which has also been on display in places from Georgia to Ukraine to Moldova.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova went so far as to officially allege unfair and illegal tactics unleashed by local authorities on Russia-friendly interests inside Armenia.

"On June 7, parliamentary elections were held in Armenia in an atmosphere of unprecedented pressure on the opposition and interference from the West, primarily the EU," Zakharova commented earlier this month.

Russia has been widely seen as 'disappointing' the Armenian population in the context of the Azerbaijan crisis.

Region of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Former members of the CSTO military alliance were Azerbaijan, Georgia and Uzbekistan.

Recent years of war between Christian Armenia and its better-armed Muslim neighbor Azerbaijan (which is a secular Republic) has seen tensions ratchet between one-time close allies Armenia and Russia. 

Armenia has long been a key member of the regional Russian-led bloc, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). However, Armenia froze its participation since 2024, outraged over Russia's failure to protect ethnic Armenians during Azerbaijan’s 2023 takeover of Nagorno-Karabakh.