Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made a striking break with decades of national narrative, publicly declaring that Nagorno-Karabakh (a disputed enclave over which Armenia and Azerbaijan fought two wars) was never Armenian territory, calling the country's long-standing "Karabakh movement" a "fatal mistake." The remarks, delivered in a video circulated on Sunday, accompany Armenia's broader realignment toward the European Union and a peace process with Azerbaijan, which recaptured the enclave by military force in 2023. The statement drew a pointed warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested Armenia hold a referendum on EU membership and alluded to Ukraine's fate after it pursued a similar European course — a threat Pashinyan dismissed, saying no referendum is currently planned.