Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented on statements made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Yerevan regarding Russia and on the subsequent reaction of Russia, saying the European Political Community summit is a multilateral platform where participants express their views.

“I do not think that, as the leader of the host country, I should censor statements or react to everything that is said. This is a multilateral platform, and people speak freely there. There have also been occasions when the Russian president made statements about different countries in my presence, and I do not recall Russia expecting me to respond to them.

The location of the European Political Community summit does not matter. It is as much my event as it is the event of our other partners,” Pashinyan said, according to Radar Armenia.

According to the prime minister, Armenia does not aspire to intervene in every global issue.

“We are a small country with our own agenda and our own priorities. We do not always consider it appropriate to rush ahead and make statements on global issues. Are we supposed to resolve relations between Russia and Ukraine? We have our modest role in contributing to global stability and peace, but only within our own scope,” he stated.

During the opening of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Zelensky said that “Ukrainian drones could fly over the parade,” referring to reports that Moscow’s May 9 parade would be held without heavy military equipment.

Following the remarks, Armenia’s ambassador to Russia Gurgen Arsenyan was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“The ambassador was firmly told that it was unacceptable for the organizers of EU-sponsored events in Yerevan to provide a platform for the head of the Kyiv Nazi regime, Zelenskyy, to issue terrorist threats against Russia,” the Russian MFA statement said.