UPDATE: Armenia bets on the West with the election of Nikol Pashinian; Russia denounces European “interference”
World News Update:
Global attention remains focused on this evolving story as officials and analysts assess the broader implications.
The political party of the Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinian, from the pro-European Civil Contract group, won the legislative elections on Sunday, June 7, gaining 49.82% of the votes. The elections were interpreted regionally as a referendum on Russian influence in the Caucasus area – made up of former Soviet republics – as they pitted Pashinian against Samvel Karapetyan, a pro-Russian billionaire. “The EU is our main partner in the implementation of democratic reforms and we will continue on that path” According to the count of all electoral colleges, published this Monday, June 8, the ruling party obtained 49.8% of the votes, compared to the opposition alliance, Strong Armenia, which reached 23.2%. Pashinian, who declared himself the winner on the morning of this Monday, June 8, is in favor of Armenia’s accession to the European Union and deepening cooperation with the West. “The EU is our main partner in the implementation of democratic reforms and we will continue on that path,” he said on Sunday after casting his vote. To display this content from X (Twitter), you must allow audience measurement and advertising cookies. Accept Manage my options Consequently, his victory at the polls threatens to undermine the historic alliance between Yerevan and Moscow, since the Kremlin has standardized Pashinian’s policy of rapprochement with the EU with the pro-Western orientation of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, an accusation that preceded Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin was betting on the election of Karapetyan, from the pro-Russian bloc, a billionaire who made his assets in that country and is under house arrest for allegedly encouraging a coup against Pashinian. However, Karapetyan rejects the accusation of being a coup leader and declares himself politically persecuted. The results suggest that the ruling party would obtain 61 seats in the National Assembly, representing 58% of the total seats. If that percentage is maintained in the final scrutiny, Civil Contract could govern alone, although it could not reform the Constitution as Pashinian wishes, in an attempt to ratify the peace agreement reached with Azerbaijan in August 2025. This Monday, Pashinian insisted on his intention to “formalize” an agreement with the neighboring country, which launched an offensive against Armenia in the fall of 2023. “We are already working on it,” said the prime minister, before also advocating for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Türkiye and the reopening of the border closed since 1993, a fundamental step to break the isolation of a landlocked country. To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies. Accept Manage my options An extension in your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site. Try again © France 24 Although the Central Electoral Commission claims to have counted the ballots from all electoral districts, the full official results will not be published until Sunday, opening a window for political parties to file complaints about possible electoral irregularities. Read alsoPashinian emerges as the winner of an election in which Armenia was torn between the West and Russia Europe celebrates the result in Armenia Congratulations addressed to Nikol Pashinian for the electoral victory began to arrive from senior officials of the European Union, including the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, who maintained that “together, the EU and Armenia are strengthening ties between peoples and creating new opportunities in energy, trade and digitalization.” In a publication in X, Costa predicted “a more peaceful and prosperous future for the entire region” as a result of the election of the pro-Western candidate. In the same vein, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invoked the mass protests led by Pashinian eight years ago that toppled former Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and brought the current prime minister to power. “The spirit of the Velvet Revolution that you led in 2018 is still alive,” the community leader wrote in a social media post, adding: “Armenia can count on us.” Likewise, the head of community diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, welcomed that Armenians were betting on a “European future.” To display this content from X (Twitter), you must allow audience measurement and advertising cookies. Accept Manage my options Several of the countries that make up the Twenty-Seven and Western allies individually joined the community celebration. Germany, one of the states that sent election observers to Armenia, stressed that the voting had not been impacted by “Russian interference.” At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated his Armenian counterpart for obtaining a “large majority” and invited him to “further strengthen” bilateral cooperation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defined the result at the polls as “a victory for Armenia’s sovereignty, its independence and its right to live as it chooses.” Pashinián assured this Monday that his government will continue to introduce the political and economic reforms necessary to materialize its accession to the EU, although he admitted that the country is not yet ready for this. “Our policy will continue to be oriented towards the diversification of export markets,” he explained, before highlighting the recent EU authorization for the access of Armenian agricultural products to the community bloc without payment of tariffs. Read alsoBetween Russia and Europe: Armenia defines its alignment in increasingly heated elections The Kremlin denounces “interference” from Europe The European outpouring over the result of the elections in Armenia contrasts with the discomfort in Moscow, which seeks to sow doubts about the credibility of the elections. The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated this Monday that the electoral campaign was carried out in a context of “unprecedented pressure on the opposition” and “interference from the West.” The Russian spokesperson’s statement recalled the six arrest warrants issued against members of Strong Armenia the day before the elections, who were accused of buying votes. Samvel Karapetyan assured that around 700 people linked to his formation were detained during the campaign. In parallel, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told the press that the Russian government is “taking note of all reports relating to the elections, including reports on the numerous irregularities that took place during them,” although he refrained from further detailing the complaint pending the publication of the full official results. To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies. Accept Manage my options An extension in your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site. Try again © France 24 Samvel Karapetyan’s party, Strong Armenia, promotes strengthening trade ties with Moscow and has accused Pashinian of trying to start a war with the Kremlin. Moscow talks about electoral interference, despite the fact that various analysts detected disinformation on the internet, hacker activity and narratives favorable to the Kremlin during the campaign. Additionally, Russian authorities imposed a series of limitations on Armenian exports in the weeks leading up to the vote. Read alsoRussia threatens Armenia with trade restrictions before parliamentary elections Observers do not report irregularities The international electoral observation mission in Armenia expressed in a press conference in Yerevan on Monday that the election day took place in an “overwhelmingly positive” manner in the vast majority of polling stations. Of course, the group of observers pointed out that there was “direct foreign interference” in the elections, in the form of trade restrictions aimed at influencing Armenian voters in favor of the pro-Russian opposition. Furthermore, observers assured that access to reliable information was conditioned by a polarized media environment, biased coverage and manipulation campaigns on the internet. In contrast, the commission added that the prosecutions of opposition figures before the vote contributed to the perception of “selective justice.” A woman votes at a polling station in Yerevan, Armenia, on June 7, 2026. © Anthony Pizzoferrato, AP In a display of Solomonic diplomacy, Pashinian indicated this Monday that he will soon travel to Moscow, Brussels and Washington. Read alsoElections in Armenia: what is behind the rapprochement with Europe and the distance from Russia With AP, Reuters and EFE
Why This Matters:
The situation could have broader implications for regional stability, international relations, and global markets.
International media coverage is expected to intensify as more updates become available from official sources.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing international story.
Source: This article was originally published by France 24 – Noticias y actualidad internacional en vivo and adapted for our international English-speaking audience.
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