BAGRATASHEN, ARMENIA -- In a lush green valley in northern Armenia, near the border with Georgia, trucks were lined up on tarmac still glistening from a recent shower. The stationary vehicles bore witness to a geopolitical battle in which Russia is trying to prevent Armenia seeking closer ties with the West.In interviews with RFE/RL's Armenian Service, the drivers shared stories of heading to Russia laden with exports only to be turned back."They reviewed all our documents and saw the quality of our strawberries, the produce grown by our villagers. But it was simply a political decision," said Narek Yeghinian, explaining the fate of his 20-ton cargo was unclear.Another driver, Ara Isoyan, had brought back the same quantity of peppers."They claimed to have found a disease in our peppers that only affects tomatoes. They sent us to a parking place where we had to pay all the related costs. We were turned back after spending a day there," he said.
Ara Isoyan was one of many truck drivers who say they were turned away at the Russian border.
The truckers are concerned about Russia's increasing restrictions. On June 2, Russia's agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced measures affecting Armenian potatoes, eggplants, dried fruits, and stone fruits.This followed earlier moves against other types of vegetables, fish products, and mineral water.Official statements have spoken of health and safety concerns, but the Kremlin has made its real motives absolutely clear.Armenians go to the polls on June 7 in parliamentary elections in which the country's basic foreign policy orientation is at stake. While Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has pulled the country toward the United States and the European Union, Russia has responded with multiple moves aimed at halting the Westward shift.This has included threatening to expel Armenia from the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), warning it may cut off preferential fuel supplies, and making numerous statements to ratchet up the pressure on Yerevan.Speaking at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, on May 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin even made a dark hint that Armenia should be wary of Ukraine's fate."The crisis in Ukraine began with efforts to move toward EU accession," he said, adding that Armenia would lose its markets in Russia and other EAEU countries, lose cheap energy imports, and face barriers for its migrant workers going to Russia -- whose remittances have been economically important for decades."These changes could result in a loss of at least 14 percent of Armenia's GDP," Putin added.EU To The Rescue?Pashinian has made it clear he's serious about realigning Armenia.In May, he rolled out the red carpet to welcome EU and other European leaders at a summit in Yerevan, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Pashinian has also frozen Armenia's membership in a Russia-led security pact, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).Last year, the country passed a law initiating the process of EU accession. Although it is a goal that would take many years to achieve, Brussels has pushed hard to encourage Yerevan's pro-EU agenda and is also seeking to provide practical support.
