Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently called on Armenia to swiftly choose between the EU and its current alliance, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Axar.az reports, citing Armenian media, he suggested that Armenia should hold a referendum on the matter, and if the people chose the EU membership, then Moscow would draw conclusions and proceed with a “civil, soft, and mutually beneficial divorce.”

Speaking to reporters amid the campaigning season, Pashinyan said that he has previously discussed the matter with Putin.

“And I have said that until the moment when there is no need to make a choice—both de jure and de facto—we are not placing such an issue on the agenda. I also do not agree with the wording ‘divorce,’ because I have had the opportunity to say in parliament that we sometimes confuse interstate relations with marriage. I do not agree with that formulation. Armenia is guided in its interstate relations by an interstate logic. We are a full member of the EAEU, and as long as we are a member of the EAEU, we fully participate in all decision-making, and I repeat—so long as no necessity arises, we are not going to put forward any such issue. We will hold a referendum at the moment when there is an objective need for it. My assessment is that there is simply no such objective necessity. We treat our EAEU partners and our participation in the EAEU with great respect,” Pashinyan said.