The talks came amid strained relations between the two allies, with tensions escalating after Azerbaijan reclaimed the Karabakh region from ethnic Armenian separatists in September.

Putin acknowledged some security concerns in the region during the brief meeting, while Pashinyan mentioned several unresolved issues that have accumulated since his last visit in December 2020.

Bilateral trade between Armenia and Russia has been growing, according to Putin.

Armenian authorities have accused Russian peacekeepers of not preventing Azerbaijan's attacks during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Russia denies the allegations, stating that their troops didn't have the authority to intervene.

The Kremlin is displeased with Armenian leader Pashinyan's attempts to strengthen ties with the West and reduce dependence on Moscow-led security and economic alliances.

In response, while Pashinyan was in Moscow, Armenia's Foreign Ministry announced that the country would no longer pay fees to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-dominated security pact, which Armenia has previously suspended its membership in.

Russia has expressed concern over Armenia's decision to join the International Criminal Court and the potential indictment of Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes related to Ukraine.

Moscow has publicly voiced worries about Armenia's "westward shift" but aims to continue dialogue.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged issues in their relations but expressed a willingness to continue the dialogue.