Austria has stated the EU's desire to strengthen its influence in the Caucasus through Armenia

The European Union (EU) is seeking to strengthen its influence in Armenia by exploiting the difficult situation in the region following the republic's conflict with Azerbaijan. This was stated by Austrian journalist Dieter Reinisch in an interview with Izvestia on May 6.

"Armenia has been weakened in recent years due to the war with Azerbaijan. And here, of course, the West is trying to gain influence again," Reinisch said.

The journalist believes that such a policy could lead to increased tensions in relations with Turkey, Russia and Iran, as well as increase instability in the region. In his opinion, Brussels considers Armenia primarily as a strategic platform. Reinisch believes that this is not about long-term economic support for Yerevan, but about expanding the EU's military and political presence in Western Asia and the Caucasus.

The journalist noted that the European Union is trying to build a new system of regional alliances together with Israel, the Persian Gulf countries and a number of pro-Western partners. In this context, he drew attention to the intensification of contacts between President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and the countries of the Middle East, including the UAE.

According to Rainish, the UAE has been playing an increasingly prominent role in regional conflicts in recent years and supports the policies of the United States and Israel. He linked Abu Dhabi's actions in Sudan, Yemen and the situation with Iran to this. In addition, the journalist believes that the UAE's withdrawal from the OPEC+ format may be aimed at weakening the influence of Russian oil supplies on the world market.

Vicious friend: The EU is trying to support Pashinyan a month before the elections

How will a turn towards the European Union turn out for the republic?

On May 6, Associate Professor of the Financial University Ivan Pyatibratov expressed the opinion that Armenia has been strengthening cooperation with the West in recent years and reviewing the balance of relations with Russia. He noted that the "Trump Road" is an unfriendly action towards Russia, because it offers an alternative to the North–South route, which is important for the Russian Federation.

On May 5, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated within the framework of the Yerevan Dialogue forum that Armenia has changed its geographical location and is now located at the crossroads of West and East. According to Pashinyan, with the help of this perception, the country will be able to move "from an unfavorable geographical location to a favorable one."