Kremlin Media Highlights Cracks in the West

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In the latest episode of Russia Decoded, hosts Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday examine how Russian state media exploits cracks in the transatlantic alliance.

April 5, 2026: «Once Upon a Time, There Was NATO»

On April 1, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan traveled to Moscow for bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin. The meeting came as Pashinyan has increasingly sought to distance Armenia from its historic ties with Russia in favor of closer economic relations with Europe and the United States. Two years ago, Armenia announced the suspension of its membership in the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and proclaimed future plans for EU accession. Last week’s talks were unusually tense, with Putin defending Russia’s decision not to support Armenia during Azerbaijan’s seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh. He warned Pashinyan of increased Russian oil prices should Armenia draw closer to the European Union and threatened to interfere with Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections in August. Moscow continues to affirm its right to a sphere of influence over post-Soviet states, with the Armenia flare-up showcasing the lengths that the Kremlin is willing to go to keep Western influence out of its neighborhood.

Hungary’s much-anticipated parliamentary elections will take place on April 12, marking the most significant challenge to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year reign. The final month in the run-up to the election has witnessed accusations of election interference against both Russia and Ukraine, as well as an ongoing dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, which Orbán and Putin have capitalized on to boost the Fidesz party’s standing in the polls. Temperatures rose further last weekend after Serbia claimed to have discovered explosives planted near the TurkStream gas pipeline, which supplies Russian gas to Hungary.

The Trump administration has been increasingly vocal in its support for Orbán in the elections, with Vice President JD Vance traveling to Budapest to campaign for the prime minister. This highly unusual move signifies the extent of the deterioration of the US-EU relationship since Trump’s return to the White House last year.

Frays in the transatlantic relationship have only worsened since the start of the war in Iran, which has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump has complained that NATO allies, notably the United Kingdom and France, refuse to militarily support US operations. His frustrations came to a head last week as Trump said he was considering pulling back US involvement in NATO due to European allies’ failure to help resolve the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Can Russia successfully bring Armenia back into its sphere of influence? Will Russian and American efforts to shore up Orban’s chances grant the pro-Russian leader a record fifth term in power? And how will a fragmenting transatlantic relationship impact the Russia-Ukraine war?

In this episode of Russia Decoded, Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday unpack how Vladimir Putin and Russian elites understand the world and how they seek to influence it. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Have feedback? Email us at RussiaDecoded@cftni.org.

About the Speakers: Andy Kuchins and Chris Monday

Andrew C. Kuchins is currently a senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest and an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He has served as President of the American University of Central Asia and the Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center as well as the Russia and Eurasia Programs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is the author or editor of 7 books and published columns for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other media outlets.

Chris Monday is an associate professor of economics at Dongseo University in Busan, South Korea.

© The National Interest