Russia appears to have set a deadline for Armenia to respond to the raised issues, after which the country act much more forcefully. Tigran Abrahamyan

The telephone conversation between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with the subsequent exchange of public statements, indicates that the existing problems are not only unresolved but are showing signs of deepening. This was written by Tigran Abrahamyan.

"While the Armenian authorities appear to be pursuing a course of confrontation in a veiled manner, Moscow is openly escalating the situation.

Two things are evident. First, Moscow is trying to place the issue of a referendum in Armenia on the political agenda, framing it as a choice between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Second, Russia appears to have set a deadline for Armenia to provide answers to the questions it has raised, after which it is likely to take a much tougher approach.

Among the many concerns and threats, it is particularly troubling that, as has been the case so far, it is ordinary citizens who are bearing the consequences of this growing confrontation," Abrahamyan wrote.