Poking the bear? Armenia welcomes European leaders in Russia's backyard
Just as Europe frets over fresh Trump tariffs, a US troop drawdown announced for Germany and the message it sends to a hostile Russia, how about not one but two summits in former Soviet state Armenia. Before a first-ever gathering of EU leaders in Yerevan on Tuesday comes the European Political Community: a talk shop with regional players which also include Ukraine and NATO heavyweights like the UK, Norway and an outside guest who shares superpower proximity problems.
Is this summit a show of strength? Or a provocation sure to rile both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, one month before Armenia's incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan goes before voters to sell his US-brokered peace deal with neighbouring Azerbaijan in a general election? More broadly, do wars in Iran and Ukraine make Western-style liberal democracy an easier or a harder sell?
The guests
- Richard WERLY, France/Europe correspondent for Blick
- Richard GIRAGOSIAN, Director, Regional Studies Center
- Marie KRPATA, Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations, Ifri
- Thorniké GORDADZE, Former Minister for European Integration of Georgia
Texte citation
I think we have to understand that for the European Union as well, we are facing a situation where its sovereignty is at play. This is also happening against the backdrop of worsening transatlantic relations. With Mark Carney's presence at the EPC meeting, the idea is to have closer ties with other middle powers as the European Union, to actually reposition the European strategy.
Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
Texte citation
For the European Political Community, the idea is really to have closer ties with countries in the neighborhood of the European Union.
Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
>> Watch the full broadcast on France 24's website.
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Marie KRPATA
Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa), Ifri
