Zelensky meets Armenian, Georgian leaders in rare high-level contacts
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President Volodymyr Zelensky met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on May 4 at the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, marking a rare round of high-level contacts with two countries.
The meetings come amid shifting regional dynamics, as Armenia remains formally part of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), while relations between Ukraine and Georgia have deteriorated in recent years under the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Zelensky described his talks with Pashinyan as "good," saying the leaders discussed regional security challenges and prospects for renewed cooperation.
"This is the first visit by the President of Ukraine to Armenia in the past 24 years," Zelensky said. "It is important that we are resuming active dialogue between our countries."
He added that the sides discussed economic cooperation and proposed resuming the work of a bilateral intergovernmental commission, with a potential meeting in Kyiv later this year.
At the same time, Zelensky struck a more cautious tone after meeting Kobakhidze, emphasizing continued engagement despite tensions.
"Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect Georgia, its sovereignty, and its people," he said. "We will continue our cooperation going forward."
Relations between Kyiv and Tbilisi have worsened under Georgian Dream, which has faced accusations of democratic backsliding and closer alignment with Moscow, triggering sanctions and protests.
Zelensky previously met Pashinyan in 2023 at a European Political Community summit in Spain.
While Pashinyan has not visited Kyiv during Russia's full-scale war, his former spouse, Anna Hakobyan, attended the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Ukraine in 2023.
Armenia has signaled interest in deepening ties with the European Union, with President Vahagn Khachaturyan signing legislation last year to begin the country's accession process, though membership prospects remain uncertain.
Ties between Yerevan and Moscow have deteriorated, particularly after Armenia criticized the CSTO for failing to respond during clashes with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022.
Ukraine has simultaneously maintained close relations with Azerbaijan. Zelensky visited the country in late April and signed cooperation agreements with President Ilham Aliyev.
