The Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergey Shoigu, has warned that Armenia’s deeper integration with the European Union would effectively mean a break with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Russia, potentially triggering a serious economic crisis.

Axar.az reports, citing Russian media, Shoigu said Russia would not finance Armenia’s exit from a possible crisis that could result from closer EU alignment.

“I want to say directly — we will not finance either the expansion of Armenia’s ties with the EU, nor the easing of the transition to European standards, nor the exit from the economic crisis that will follow as a result,” he said.

He stressed that Armenia’s economy is structurally dependent on the Russian market and argued that a shift toward European standards would not bring benefits due to a lack of certifications and alternative sales markets.

Shoigu also said that EU integration under the guise of “diversification” would in practice amount to a withdrawal from the EAEU and a rupture of relations with Russia. He warned that the EU would not cover Armenia’s associated costs, including energy price differences, noting that a large share of Armenia’s gas imports comes from Russia.