MOSCOW, June 10. /TASS/. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will not tolerate a situation in which Armenia takes a freeloading position toward the union while simultaneously preparing for European integration, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"The republic's leadership is trying to convince its fellow citizens that there is no need to choose between the EU and the EAEU — that's how the issue is now being framed. They can, they say, receive all the benefits of Eurasian integration while simultaneously preparing to apply for membership in another economic bloc. No, you can't. We will not tolerate such a freeloading position toward the EAEU," the diplomat emphasized.

"Tough? I'm not sure. I think that if it's tough, it's realistic," she added.

Yerevan has recently been declaring its commitment to integration with the European Union. On March 26, 2025, the Armenian parliament passed a law beginning the country's accession process to the EU. Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan asserted that Yerevan did not intend to leave the EAEU and expects to combine membership in the organization with EU integration for as long as possible. As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted, integration with the EU automatically entails the cessation of Armenia's interaction with the EAEU, the loss of all the associated preferences that Yerevan has benefited from throughout its membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.