Leaving the EAEU threatens Armenia with billion-dollar losses

Armenia could face significant losses in the event of its withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union, nearly 40% of its foreign trade turnover would be at risk, according to national statistics data.

Leaving the bloc would strip Yerevan of trade preferences, including a unified low tariff rate of 5% and duty-free import rights on a range of goods. In 2025, the country earned $3.2 billion from exports to EAEU member states, of which $2.9 billion came from supplies to Russia. Imports from the union totalled $5 billion, with nearly the entire volume, $4.87 billion, accounted for by Russian goods. Armenia’s total trade turnover with the EAEU thus reached $8.2 billion, representing 38.5% of its overall trade volume ($21.4 billion).

Against this backdrop, the country’s parliament approved the EU accession process this spring, and Vahagn Khachaturyan, the president, signed the bill into law. Vladimir Putin stressed that combining membership in the EAEU and the EU is impossible. The Russian side has also noted that the West is seeking to use Armenia against Moscow, while the republic’s leadership is ignoring the warnings.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council, stated that Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister, is leading the country down Ukraine’s path, attempting to simultaneously retain the benefits of EAEU membership while pursuing integration into the European Union.