Poking the bear? Armenia welcomes European leaders in Russia's backyard

Poking the bear? Armenia welcomes European leaders in Russia's backyard Europe

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41:49

Issued on: 04/05/2026 - 20:15

41:49 min Share Play (41:49 min) From the show Reading time 1 min

Just as Europe frets over fresh Trump tariffs, a U-S 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 Tuesday, the European Politicial Community - a talk shop with regional players which also includes Ukraine and many NATO heavyweights like the UK, Norway and an outside guest who shares superpower proximity problems.

We’ll revisit Canadian prime minister Mark Carney’s clarion call for so-called middle powers that share common interests and values to band together. Show of strength or 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 neighboring Azerbaijan in a general election. More broadly, do wars in Iran and Ukrairne make western-style liberal democracy an easier or harder sell?

 

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Andrew Hilliar.

By: François PICARD Rebecca GNIGNATI Juliette Laffont Ilayda HABIP Andrew HILLIAR Video by: François PICARD Advertising Related keywords

• Armenia
• Nikol Pashinyan
• Volodymyr Zelensky
• Iran
• legislative elections
• Emmanuel Macron
• Mark Carney