Poking the bear? Armenia welcomes European leaders in Russia's backyard
François PICARD | Rebecca GNIGNATI | Juliette Laffont | Ilayda HABIP | Andrew HILLIAR | Richard WERLY | Richard GIRAGOSIAN | Marie KRPATA | Thorniké GORDADZE
Edité par France 24
- 2026
We revisit Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's clarion call for so-called middle powers that share common interests and values to band together.
Read moreEuropean and Canadian leaders hold security talks in Yerevan amid uncertainty over US policy
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?
Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Andrew Hilliar.
- Note
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.
- Langue
- anglais
- Date de publication
- 04/05/2026
- Collection
- The Debate
- Contributeurs
- 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
