https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/880bfe33-fd9a-49c2-b413-67516274ff51 Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said his country intends to formally apply for EU membership, prompting criticism from Moscow. Similar attempts to escape Russia’s orbit by Georgia ended in a Russian invasion, as did, more recently those made by Ukraine. Is Armenia next? “Well, a military invasion by Russia seems unlikely, especially given the military incompetence of the Russian side, as demonstrated on the Ukrainian battlefield,” Richard Giragosian, Founding Director of the Regional Studies Center, told TVP World. He noted, however, that Armenia’s close economic ties with the Russian market give Moscow leverage that could keep “Armenia hostage within the Eurasian Economic Union.” “This is also why connectivity, trade and transport, and energy links with Armenia in terms of reopening closed borders, establishing normalized relations with its neighbors is so crucial to countering that Russian pressure,” Giragosian added. Join TVP World’s Maciej Mikos and his guest as they explore whether Armenia’s EU ambitions are a realistic long-term goal or a negotiating tactic aimed at Moscow, how Yerevan is diversifying its security and economic partnerships beyond Russia, and why the outcome of the war in Ukraine may determine whether Armenia’s current window of strategic opportunity remains open. Chapters: 00:00 CIA Director’s Moscow visit & Armenia’s strategic concerns 01:44 Armenia’s proposed EU referendum & the long road toward membership 04:16 Economic reform & reducing dependence on Russia 07:01 Russian pressure and Armenia’s security posture 09:16 Alternative partnerships & Armenia’s Western orientation 11:06 Prospects for a regional domino effect 🔴 Watch our 24/7 livestream - https://youtube.com/live/9RY46AUtIl4 Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. https://tvpworld.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tvpworldcom https://twitter.com/TVPWorld_com https://www.instagram.com/tvp_world/ https://www.threads.net/@tvp_world https://bsky.app/profile/tvpworld.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@tvpworld.com https://t.me/tvp_world #Armenia #Russia #Putin Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:15:36 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.echelon.pl https://video.echelon.pl/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/880bfe33-fd9a-49c2-b413-67516274ff51 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.echelon.pl/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.