Russian official blasts Armenia over Zelensky’s ‘repulsive’ remarks, defends regional role

A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official has lashed out at Armenia for ignoring what he described as “repulsive” anti-Russian remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Yerevan, while also defending Moscow’s role in Armenia’s railway sector and questioning Western-backed regional transport initiatives.

Mikhail Kalugin, director of the Fourth Department of CIS countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS that Moscow had taken note of Zelensky’s visit to Yerevan, which he said was “clearly inspired by Brussels”, News.Az reports, citing News Armenia.

“Of course, in Moscow we took note of Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Yerevan, which was clearly inspired by Brussels, and his repulsive anti-Russian remarks, which the Armenian side carefully chose to ignore,” Kalugin said.

He also criticised Armenia’s engagement with the European Union, including recent summits, which he said were part of an attempt to create a misleading “European mirage” ahead of parliamentary elections. Kalugin pointed to pledges of €2.5bn in potential EU investment, arguing the same figure had been announced years earlier without being realised.

In a separate set of remarks, Kalugin accused the European Union of seeking to weaken Armenia’s ties with Russia and expand its influence in the country.

“The declared goals may, of course, sound noble, but in reality the purpose of the missions is obvious — to strengthen EU control over the socio-political life and economy of the republic,” he said, adding that Brussels was attempting to pull Armenia away from Moscow.

He also said the EU had sought to portray Russia as an adversary and accused European actors of interference in Armenia’s domestic political processes.

Turning to regional infrastructure, Kalugin said concerns raised by Armenia over the South Caucasus Railways concession had been addressed during talks between the two countries’ leaders on 1 April.

“This issue was discussed in detail during the negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Armenia on 1 April. Clarifications were provided on all matters of concern to the Armenian side,” he said.

He rejected claims that Russian management of Armenia’s railway network limited the country’s economic prospects, arguing instead that it had strengthened its competitiveness. Kalugin said Russian investment in the sector had totalled around 30 billion roubles since 2008.

He also noted that the SCR remains a major employer in Armenia and said Moscow sees “significant potential” for further cooperation in regional connectivity.

Kalugin also raised doubts over the viability of the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), saying it faced geopolitical and economic obstacles.

“Some experts believe that against the backdrop of the Iranian–American conflict, the prospects for launching the ‘Trump Route’ are far from clear,” he said.

He suggested that US involvement in a key transit corridor linking Central Asia and Europe could face resistance from regional actors, and questioned its commercial viability without freight flows from China and Russia.

He also referred to earlier Russia–Armenia–Azerbaijan discussions on reopening regional transport links, saying that by 2023 the parties had been close to agreeing on a so-called “Meghri route” under a trilateral working group. He added that Armenia later suspended participation in that format.

Kalugin said that, unlike the earlier Russian-mediated proposal, current initiatives do not automatically ensure full integration of regional railway infrastructure.

News.Az