Moscow, September 25, 2025
By Azerbaijan.US Editorial Board
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Moscow on Thursday was framed as business as usual: two leaders catching up after an international nuclear forum. In truth, it looked more like a photo op staged to distract from the reality that Russia has lost much of its influence in Armenia – and knows it.
The guest list spoke volumes. Rosatom’s Alexei Likhachev, Russian Railways chief Oleg Belozerov, and a clutch of Kremlin functionaries joined Putin, while Pashinyan arrived with his infrastructure and energy team.
The subtext was clear: energy deals are the last pillar Russia can lean on, while the political foundation of the relationship has already cracked.
Armenia today is not the Armenia of 2020. Scarred by two wars with Azerbaijan and abandoned by its supposed ally, Yerevan has suspended participation in the CSTO, opened its doors to Western security cooperation, and found Washington far more responsive than Moscow ever was. For Pashinyan, Russia is no longer the guarantor of safety but a reminder of betrayal.
Even nuclear cooperation – long seen as untouchable – is no longer secure ground. Metsamor, Armenia’s aging Soviet-built plant, is kept alive with Russian assistance, but Yerevan has quietly begun scouting alternatives. If Rosatom once symbolized Moscow’s leverage, it now underscores its vulnerability: Armenia can walk away, and Russia has little left to offer beyond promises it failed to keep.
Putin’s remark at their last encounter – that he was “glad to see” Pashinyan – rings hollow today. Moscow is not glad; it is desperate. What was once a strategic alliance has withered into transactional meetings in ornate Kremlin halls.
For Armenia, the road is increasingly Western. For Russia, the meeting was a reminder that the South Caucasus, once considered its backyard, is slipping away.
