Caucasus in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Caucasus in May 2026, politics centred on Armenia, which hosted the European Political Community summit in Yerevan on 4 and 5 May. European and Canadian leaders attended, as did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and they held security talks amid uncertainty over US policy. French President Emmanuel Macron called Armenia's turn away from Russia a turning point and was due to sign a strategic partnership with Armenia, and the EU and Armenia signed economic agreements. Lithuania's foreign minister later voiced support for Armenia's EU bid.
Russia's criticism of Armenia grew through the month. The Kremlin said Armenia was trying to sit on two chairs, and the Russian Foreign Ministry criticised Yerevan for hosting Zelensky. Dmitry Medvedev said Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wanted to break ties with Russia. Pashinyan said Armenia was not involved in anti-Russian actions, and Armenia's foreign minister said the country did not want to stoke tensions with Moscow. On 27 May Russia threatened to cancel or cut gas supplies to Armenia, citing its growing ties with the EU. Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko said four leaders of the Eurasian Economic Union did not want Armenia to leave the association.
The United States moved closer to Yerevan. On 26 May US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Yerevan and the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement ahead of Armenian elections, at which voters will decide on Pashinyan's peace agenda. President Donald Trump endorsed Pashinyan, while Washington expressed support for Armenia without making explicit commitments.
Turkey and Armenia moved towards reconciliation, agreeing on 19 May to open their border after 33 years. Meanwhile Azerbaijan's president accused the European Parliament of undermining the peace process between Baku and Yerevan, and Azerbaijan cut cooperation with the Parliament. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas visited Baku to advance a strategic partnership, and Vladimir Putin discussed friendship and high-level contacts with Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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