Russia restricts Armenian flower imports amid deteriorating bilateral relations

Russia has imposed restrictions on flower imports from Armenia as tensions between the two countries continue to escalate. The move comes after Moscow previously warned Yerevan against further rapprochement with the European Union. The trade restrictions represent the latest escalation in a broader diplomatic dispute between Russia and Armenia, with Moscow expressing displeasure over Armenia's growing ties with Western institutions. Armenia, traditionally a close Russian ally in the South Caucasus region, has been gradually shifting its foreign policy orientation toward Europe, prompting increasingly strained relations with its former patron.