In a two-sentence statement, the Russian government said the two men discussed “topical issues of Russian-Armenian cooperation in the trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural-humanitarian fields.” It also noted that the phone call took place “at the initiative of the Armenian side.”
Pashinian’s office issued a virtually identical readout of the call that most probably focused on Russia’s recent decisions to essentially ban multimillion-dollar imports of Armenian agricultural products and beverages on supposedly sanitary grounds. The embargo followed two European summits hosted by Yerevan in early May.
President Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders have since pressed the Armenian government to quickly choose between seeking to join the European Union and remaining part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc. The presidents of the three other EEU member states -- Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan -- added their voice to this demand in a joint statement with Putin issued during a May 29 summit boycotted by Pashinian.
Following his party’s victory in disputed parliamentary elections held on June 7, Pashinian made clear that his government will carry on with its European integration policy. Last week, hechallenged the EEU to clarify “whether it exists or not.” The remarks were construed by commentators as a veiled threat to pull his country out of the bloc that entitles Armenian exporters to tariff-free access to the Russian market.
When asked by RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday about the impact of the Russian embargo, Pashinian stressed that economic growth in Armenia continued unabated in May. Moscow began blocking imports of Armenian flowers, mineral fruits, vegetables, fish and other agricultural products at the end of May.
Pashinian’s government hopes to mitigate economic consequences of the import bans mainly with subsidies to Armenian farmers and agribusiness firms that will find new export markets. It has also secured $58 million in urgent economic assistance from the EU. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to reaffirm support for Pashinian and his pro-Western foreign policy during a visit to Yerevan slated for Thursday.
Armenia - Unsold flowers dumped at a greenhouse in Armavir province, June 24, 2026.
Pashinian’s domestic critics dismiss these measures as insufficient, saying that neither the EU nor other countries can make up for the loss of Armenia’s export revenue from Russia in the foreseeable future. There are growing reports about Armenia commercial farmers destroying their produce because of being unable to sell it abroad. Artak Tovmasian, the owner of a flower greenhouse in the Armavir province west of Yerevan, is one of them.
“I’m going bankrupt,” Tovmasian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Monday.
Armenian agricultural exports to Russia have grown rapidly over the past 10-15 years. According to Russian officials, they totaled over $700 million last year. Armenia’s overall exports to Russia reached almost $3 billion, compared with $667 million worth of goods exported to EU member states.
Pashinian assured voters ahead of the recent elections that Russia will swiftly lift the sanctions if he wins another term in office. He also said he and Putin agreed to meet again “in the second half of June.” Pashinian said on Monday, however, that no such meeting was ever “planned.” He expressed confidence that there will soon be fresh “contacts” with the Russian side.
The Russian and Armenian leaders have not even spoken by phone since the June 7 elections. An Armenian pro-opposition publication, 168.am, claimed at the weekend that Putin is refusing to take phone calls from Pashinian. Putin has still not congratulated Pashinian on his election victory not recognized by the Armenian opposition.
Dmitry Mevedev, a former Russian president heading the ruling United Russia party, on Sunday stood by Moscow’s claims that the vote was marred by numerous irregularities. He specifically accused the Armenian authorities of miscounting ballots to bar the pro-Russian Prosperous Armenia Party from holding seats in the country’s new parliament.
Medvedev also said: “Our country will judge the true intentions of the Armenian authorities by their actual actions … We hope that [Pashinian’s] ruling Civil Contract party will listen to the alternative opinion expressed by the majority of voters who went to the polls.”