YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenians voted Sunday in a parliamentary election that will help determine the country’s geopolitical direction as the incumbent government faces mounting Russian pressure over its push to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his governing Civil Contract party are seeking a strong mandate for a geopolitical course that has attracted enthusiasm from European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump but provoked thinly veiled threats from the Kremlin. Pashinyan came to power in 2018 following sweeping street protests.
Casting his vote in Yerevan, Pashinyan said the country would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy and rule of law.
“The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation, and we will continue that path,” he said, according to the Armenpress news agency.
He also stressed that there were no tensions between Armenia and Moscow, saying relations with Russia were “institutional and based on mutual respect,” Armenpress reported.
Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks, banning the import of flowers, certain types of cognac and wine, eggplant, potatoes, dried fruits, fish and more. Russia says the bans are related to violations of agricultural import rules.
The European Commission on Thursday described the move as “nothing short of economic coercion,” saying in a statement that “by extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponizing economic relations for political pressure.”
President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have made comparisons between Armenia’s path and Ukraine’s, which was invaded by Russia. Speaking to journalists after Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Putin said if the Armenian people saw benefits in joining the European Union, then “we will certainly have nothing to say against it.” Yet he also reminded reporters, “We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine’s joining or attempting to join the EU.”
As MSI previously reported, Putin told Armenia in early April that it cannot join the European Union while remaining within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Russia-led customs bloc. “Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible,” Putin said at the time. “It’s simply impossible by definition.”
Pashinyan has spoken on several occasions about the need for a balanced foreign policy to maintain good relations with the United States, Europe, Russia, and regional powers such as Turkey and Iran — both of which border Armenia. He has been endorsed by several European leaders, and Trump wrote on social media that Pashinyan “is making his Country strong, wealthy, and very secure,” urging Armenians to “Make (Armenia) Great Again.”
Most of Armenia’s opposition supports building stronger relations with Moscow. The Strong Armenia party, led by Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with Moscow. Karapetyan is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow, a charge he has rejected as politically motivated.
Armenian investigators issued six arrest warrants for members of Strong Armenia the day before the election, accusing them of buying votes, according to the nation’s Central Election Committee. The committee confirmed Saturday that the party could run on the ballot after a member of another opposition party appealed for it to be barred over corruption allegations.
“The Armenian people will make the right choice and Armenia will finally have a legitimate government,” Karapetyan said after he was escorted to a polling station to vote Sunday.
Other potential contenders include former President Robert Kocharyan, who leads the Hayastan bloc and has accused Pashinyan of undermining relations with Russia, and the Prosperous Armenia Party, led by pro-Russia business owner Gagik Tsarukyan.
The election also comes as Pashinyan pursues normalization with neighboring Azerbaijan. The Armenian leader and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialed a document on moving toward a peace deal at the White House alongside Trump in August. Armenia and Azerbaijan were locked in a decades-long conflict over the Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan retook during a rapid offensive in 2023.
“I want this government to change, because the condition of our country is getting worse,” Sahakyan Elina, a supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party, told The Associated Press at a rally Thursday. “I don’t want to live with my enemies in unity.”
Armenia’s National Assembly must consist of at least 101 members elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4% of the vote to take a seat, while blocs of three or more parties must hit 8%. Two political blocs and 17 parties are participating in the election. Most pollsters and experts have predicted Pashinyan will come out ahead.
“I think Armenians expect, first of all, a peaceful, independent and prosperous Armenia from this election, as we have today,” said Hripsime Grigoryan, a Civil Contract member of the outgoing parliament.