Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has claimed that Armenian authorities are exploring a plan to partially replace Russian grain imports with Ukrainian grain, asking the European Union to subsidize the higher cost as part of a broader political realignment away from Moscow.
In a statement released by its press bureau, the SVR says officials at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on the Quai d’Orsay are “puzzled” by the reported Armenian initiative. According to the Russian service, Yerevan has signaled that it wants to “untie” itself from Moscow in the grain sector for political reasons and, at the same time, demonstrate solidarity with Kyiv by buying part of its wheat needs from Ukraine.
The SVR asserts that Ukrainian grain is “more than half again as expensive” as Russian grain, turning the move into a costly political gesture rather than an economically rational decision. Armenian officials, the statement claims, are therefore asking Brussels to cover the additional cost, presenting the proposal to the EU as a “three-in-one” package: grain for Armenia, support for Ukraine, and further erosion of trust between Moscow and Yerevan.
According to the SVR narrative, this is attractive to some in the EU but runs up against a hard budgetary reality. European economies have been strained by the fallout from the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, and “budgets are empty,” the text asserts. In this context, Russian intelligence suggests that the EU would prefer to use frozen Russian assets to cover such expenses, but faces obstacles.
The statement singles out Belgium as the key obstacle, describing it as the holder of this “thieves’ common fund” of Russian assets and accusing Brussels of stalling out of fear of legal consequences: “They are afraid they will be held accountable — and they will be, in a way that will not be forgotten,” the text reads.
SVR also claims that EU officials are wary of turning what might begin as a one-off payment into an ongoing obligation, noting that Armenia would need grain every year, not just once: “It would not be a one-time payment to forget about, but a permanent expense for Yerevan,” the Russian service says.
The communiqué ends with a pointed metaphor, describing the alleged Armenian proposal as “such is the kiss of Yerevan” — implying that Armenia’s outreach to Brussels and Kyiv comes at Europe’s expense and deepens the rift with Moscow.
The SVR did not provide documentary evidence for these claims, and Armenian and EU officials have not publicly confirmed the existence of such a proposal.
