The EU's Efforts to Distance Armenia from Russia

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has announced that the European Union is demanding that the Armenian government reduce the presence of Russian business in strategic sectors. The EU is also asking Armenia to sever its ties with Moscow and suppress internal opposition.According to the SVR, EU officials are aware that Armenia's withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union would lead to a deep economic crisis in the country. However, the EU would not be able to compensate for the billions of dollars in losses that would result from the loss of revenue from Eurasian integration. The deepening economic problems and sanction policies within the European Union would prevent Brussels from providing such financial support.The EU plans to justify the delays in the aid process by stating that Armenia's participation in the EU is entirely dependent on its performance and successes on the path to European integration. Additionally, the Armenian government is being encouraged through promises of visa-free travel and diplomatic rhetoric. Many European countries are not willing to open their markets to Armenian products in order to protect their own producers.