EU pledges to support Armenia against hybrid threats ahead of June elections

(Horizon Weekly) – In a firm show of solidarity with Yerevan, the European Union has pledged to deploy a “hybrid rapid response team” to Armenia. The announcement was made by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in Brussels following a meeting of EU foreign ministers, where she emphasized that bolstering the resilience of regional democracies is a top priority for Europe.

The mission, at the formal request of the Armenian government, is presented as a mechanism to assist the country in navigating external interference and hybrid threats in the lead-up to its upcoming elections. Kallas reaffirmed that Armenia would not be left to face these challenges alone, stating that democracies under pressure can depend on European support. Naturally, questions have also been raised regarding whether the EU’s involvement itself constitutes a form of interference.

This security initiative follows previous commitments made in December, when the EU outlined a plan to allocate 15 million euros to help Yerevan counter malign influence from third parties. During the recent briefing, Kallas also noted that the ministers reviewed a variety of regional concerns, including the ongoing democratic decline in Georgia, further highlighting the EU’s broader focus on stabilizing its Eastern neighbourhood.