Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Ahead of the election, Putin had warned that the country could face a “Ukrainian scenario”.
It’s not often that a domestic election in Armenia draws international attention, but during Sunday’s parliamentary election, many eyes from both the East and the West were turned toward the former Soviet republic.
Leading up to the election, both the West and Russia had tried to win over Armenians in an effort to sway the outcome in their favor, and now the results are in.
Bye-bye Putin
According to final results reported by The Guardian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party won a slim majority.
Billionaire Samvel Karapetyan’s pro-Russian alliance secured a quarter of the seats.
This is a major diplomatic loss for Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as Armenia is a longtime ally of Russia but has pivoted away from Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Armenian support for Moscow plummeted in 2023 when Russia failed to do much to help Armenia’s military forces after Azerbaijan took control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Pashinyan told POLITICO at the time that “we can’t rely on Russia to protect us anymore.”
This was the first domestic election since then.
Under heavy pressure
The election took place under the dark shadow of alleged Russian interference. In an apparent attempt to influence voters, Moscow suddenly banned imports of Armenian fruit, flowers, and brandy shortly before voting began.
Despite the painful economic pressure, the prime minister stood firm on his dual-track foreign policy strategy. Speaking to reporters at his crowded campaign headquarters, he explained how the country would handle its massive neighbor.
“We will continue the course of rapprochement with the West, but we will also continue our participation and membership in the Eurasian Economic Union,” Pashinyan said on Monday. He noted that the “Armenian people voted for peace, regional prosperity, and cooperation” during the election.
The campaign also saw dramatic local clashes. Police arrested more than 40 people for vote-buying, including members of Karapetyan’s party.
Karapetyan, who campaigned from house arrest, told the Associated Press that the arrests “would not change the minds of Armenian voters.”
A “Ukrainian Scenario”
On May 30, Euromaidan Press cited Vladimir Putin as warning Armenia that the country could face a “Ukrainian scenario.”
“The crisis in Ukraine began with attempts by Ukraine to join the EU,” Putin claimed at a press conference.
Armenia became part of the Soviet Union following the Soviet-Armenian War in late 1920.
