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The European Union announced fresh financial and trade support for Armenia, saying the Caucasus country was facing Russian "economic coercion" following its turn toward the West.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Yerevan on Thursdayalongside Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, said Armenia was "still facing significant economic pressure from Russia, nothing short of economic coercion actually."
Moscow, angered by Yerevan's pivot away from its traditional ally, imposed bans and restrictions on a range of Armenian imports, including fruit, vegetables, flowers and beverages, ahead of the country's June 7 parliamentary elections.
"When pressure mounts on our partners, the European Union steps up," von der Leyen said.
Von der Leyen announced an additional 80 million euros, or about $92 million, in assistance to help Armenia "strengthen and diversify" its trade.
She also said the European Commission was proposing "autonomous trade measures" that would make nearly 80% of Armenian exports to the EU tariff-free.
"With this, we can re-route products that currently still rely heavily on the Russian market and send them to the European Union single market of 450 million consumers," she said.
The measures would cover almost all Armenian fresh fruits, vegetables and plants previously exported to Russia, as well as more than 90% of the country's beverage and spirits exports, she added.
"This is only the beginning," von der Leyen said.
Russia cited unspecified sanitary concerns to justify its import restrictions, but the measures have been widely viewed as an attempt to pressure Pashinyan and push his government to reverse its pro-West course.
Pashinyan's party won the June parliamentary election, dealing a setback to Moscow's influence in a country where Russia has long maintained a military base and extensive economic leverage.
Von der Leyen arrived in Yerevan on Thursday after visiting neighboring Azerbaijan a day earlier.
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She was welcomed at the Zvartnots International Airport by Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, according to local television broadcasts.
During her visit to Azerbaijan, von der Leyen said the EU wanted "to help peace take root in the region."
Armenia and Azerbaijan have moved toward peace following decades of conflict over the Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian separatists in 2023.
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