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Russia will impose temporary restrictions on imports of several Armenian agricultural products starting May 30, Russian authorities announced Thursday, in the latest sign of worsening ties between Moscow and Yerevan as tensions deepen over Armenia’s growing engagement with the European Union.
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, said the measures will apply to tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens and strawberries originating from and shipped through Armenia.
The agency cited growing violations in Armenian fruit and vegetable shipments entering Russia, saying the restrictions were introduced to safeguard the country’s phytosanitary safety, adding to mounting trade pressure after Moscow had already temporarily restricted flower imports from Armenia on May 22.
The latest restrictions landed as Russian officials openly criticized Armenia over its handling of accreditation requests for Russian election observers ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova voiced frustration after several Russian observers were denied accreditation. "The decision to deny accreditation to the Russians is incomprehensible," Zakharova remarked during a briefing, adding that Moscow would take the move into account in future dealings with Yerevan.
"It’s impossible to even imagine why such unfriendly actions were taken against them," she added. Nineteen political groups, including 17 parties and two alliances, have applied to participate in Armenia’s parliamentary elections.
Dmitry Leonov, deputy chairman of the Rusprodsoyuz association, told Russian Ria Novosti that Armenian produce accounts for only a small share of Russia’s fruit and vegetable imports. He noted that Russian importers could quickly pivot to alternative suppliers, including Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, China and Turkmenistan.
For Armenia, however, Russia remained the dominant market for fruit and vegetable exports in 2024, importing about $127 million worth of produce out of roughly $132 million in total shipments, according to data from UN Comtrade.
Russian news agency Interfax also reported that Armenian officials confirmed they received a Russian letter warning Moscow could suspend or withdraw from a 2013 agreement covering preferential supplies of natural gas, petroleum products and rough diamonds if Yerevan continues pursuing closer integration with the European Union.
The warning is tied to Armenia’s recent push to deepen relations with the European Union, a move Moscow increasingly views as incompatible with Armenia’s commitments inside the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).
Russian officials argue that if Armenia moves closer to the EU economically or politically, it could undermine the preferential trade framework built within the EAEU, which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Under that system, Armenia benefits from discounted Russian gas prices, duty-free petroleum imports and special trade arrangements for goods such as rough diamonds.
Moscow has recently stepped up public pressure over the issue. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned earlier this month that preferential gas prices for Armenia could shift to market rates if the country leaves the EAEU.
While Armenia has expanded contacts with the EU and openly discussed deeper integration, Yerevan has not announced plans to formally leave the EAEU.
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