Pashinyan Rejects SVR Claim of Armenian Shift to Ukrainian Grain, Vows to Keep Buying Russian Wheat

Overview

• The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service alleged Armenia planned to replace Russian wheat with EU-financed Ukrainian grain for political reasons.
• Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Wednesday that Armenia will not abandon purchases from Russia and will simply review any competitive offers from other sellers.
• Pashinyan noted Armenia has fielded new inquiries after a recent buy from Kazakhstan and said price will guide decisions.
• Analyst Boris Pervushin told TASS that Armenian wheat imports are now almost entirely Russian and that Ukrainian grain costs roughly 1.5 times more.
• Pervushin argued the overland route to mountainous Armenia makes Ukrainian deliveries difficult and said any shift would be largely symbolic for Russia while increasing Armenia’s reliance on EU support.