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Zakharova criticizes Pashinyan over EU stance: Such people defeat themselves in chess

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova

18 March 2026 19:31 (UTC +04:00)

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has criticized Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his stance on joining the European Union, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

“If a person says that it is good if they are accepted into the European Union, and if not, they will still win anyway—such people usually defeat themselves in chess,” Zakharova said at a briefing, commenting on Pashinyan’s statements regarding Armenia’s EU accession.

She noted that abstract EU standards are presented by Yerevan as an unconditional benefit.

“The Armenian government’s interest in implementing European standards looks particularly strange, considering that Yerevan has no involvement in their development. At the same time, Armenia is not only a full participant in all processes within the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union, but also one of the creators of those norms. Of course, the picture looks very appealing, although it is unclear what reality it is based on, given the deep crisis the European Union itself is facing. These are not just words—there are concrete indicators such as declining industrial production, rising public debt, and a massive migration problem,” the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.