According to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexander Pankin, a referendum on Armenia's accession to the European Union should have been held before the application was submitted. In an interview with TAS, he explained that if the request is submitted before the expression of desire, as Yervan insists, then the opinion of the people will not benefit anyone. The diplomat also said that the search for Armenia's place in the European Union, initiated by Pashinyan's team, has led to a paradox: the real benefits of membership in the EAEU are used to promote "the ephemeral idea of moving to another integration bloc."