Pashinyan’s government has approved compensation for exporters of greenhouse-grown fruits, vegetables and flowers after Russia imposed a widening series of restrictions on Armenian goods.
Under the decision, economic operators exporting products from Armenia in June 2026 will receive 770 drams per kilogram of strawberries, 275 drams per kilogram of tomatoes, 400 drams per kilogram of peppers, and 37 drams per flower.
The compensation comes after Russia had already targeted several Armenian export categories.
In May, Russia restricted Armenian flower imports and banned the import and sale of Jermuk mineral water. It then moved against Armenian tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, greens and strawberries, with restrictions taking effect from May 30. In the following days, the pressure widened to other fruit, fish products, alcoholic beverages and additional goods.
Russia has presented the restrictions as sanitary and phytosanitary measures. But the timing is political. The restrictions were imposed in the final stretch before Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections and hit sectors that remain heavily dependent on the Russian market.
That is where Pashinyan’s government is exposed. The immediate pressure is coming from Moscow, but Armenia’s vulnerability is domestic. For years, the government spoke about export diversification, yet when Russia closed access to its market, Armenian producers still had no reliable alternative channels at scale.
The compensation package may reduce immediate losses for farmers, greenhouse operators and flower producers. But it also shows that the government is reacting after the damage was already done.
The issue is not only Russia’s use of trade as political pressure. It is also the fact that Pashinyan’s government is announcing support only after the restrictions widened and days before voters go to the polls. That makes the measure look less like a prepared economic response and more like election-week damage control.
