The visit followed the June 7 election victory, strengthening Pashinyan's mandate for closer ties with the European Union. Russia imposed restrictions on imports of Armenian agricultural goods, flowers, mineral water and brandy before voting — and significantly expanded those restrictions afterwards — while also warning that supplies of discounted energy could be reconsidered. Brussels has responded with €52 million in support for Armenia's economy, trade facilitation measures and tariff-free access for about 80% of Armenian exports to the EU. Von der Leyen said the measures could help redirect goods away from Russia toward the single market. Energy diversification is on the agenda: Armenia imported approximately 80–82% of its gas from Russia last year.