The Russian Railways (RZhD) monopoly controls the network in accordance with a 30-year management contract signed in 2008. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk similarly brushed aside in April Pashinian’s declared rationale for stripping RZhD of its management rights. Pashinian also threatened to charge RZhD as much as $2 billion annually for its control of the Armenian railway. Pashinian said on Thursday that his administration is being punished by Moscow for seeking an “alternative” to Armenia’s alliance with Russia. Pashinian also repeated his claims that the Russian trade restrictions imposed on Armenia mean the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is “paralyzed.”