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“The crisis in Ukraine began with attempts by Ukraine to join the EU,” Putin said.
Small nations often find themselves caught in the middle when global superpowers rewrite the rules of diplomacy.
Shifting allegiances can turn old friends into bitter rivals overnight, leaving entire regions on edge.
Now, a fresh round of warnings from Moscow shows just how dangerous it can be to look toward the West.
A familiar warning
During a press conference in Astana following the Eurasian Economic Union summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a clear message to neighboring Armenia.
The Moscow Times reported on May 29 that the Kremlin chief compared Armenia’s current push for European integration to the events that sparked the war in Ukraine.
According to the report, Putin argued that the current conflict in Ukraine did not start out of nowhere. Instead, he claimed the trouble began when Kyiv made its first moves to build closer ties with Europe.
“I already mentioned this. The crisis in Ukraine started with attempts to bring Ukraine into the EU. We weren’t against it,” Putin told reporters, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Armenia has been moving away from Moscow’s orbit recently, seeking stronger economic and political security through Western partnerships.
But the view from the Kremlin remains highly suspicious of any post-Soviet state looking toward Brussels or Washington.
Raising the threat
The warnings did not stop with Armenia. Putin also turned his attention toward NATO members and the EU, specifically addressing the highly strategic Russian region of Kaliningrad. That territory is sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, making it a constant flashpoint for military tension.
His comments came as a direct reaction to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys. The Lithuanian official had previously spoken about NATO’s ability to target Russian military bases inside the enclave if a wider conflict broke out. Putin took the opportunity to issue a fierce response.
“The Russian Federation has all the means to raze to the ground those who try to do this,” Putin said. The aggressive statement underscores a growing readiness in Moscow to use extreme rhetoric to deter Western military planners. For now, the region remains locked in a tense waiting game.
Sources: The Moscow Times, Ukrainska Pravda
