Armenia votes in test of PM's pivot away from Russia

Armenia voted Sunday in a parliamentary election set to test Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's tilt to the West, as the country faces threats and allegations of interference from former imperial ruler Russia.

Armenia and Russia are technically allies, but Moscow has compared the former Soviet republic's EU ambitions to the same path it claims triggered its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The election comes after years of upheaval since Pashinyan was propelled to power in a 2018 street revolution.

The small Caucasus country is still reeling from long-time foe Azerbaijan's military takeover of the Karabakh region.

The conflict came to an end in 2023, when the Azerbaijan army seized control of the enclave, and most of the Armenian population fled.

Pashinyan has framed the vote as a choice between a lasting peace with Azerbaijan, or a return to war.

The 51-year-old has also sought to loosen Armenia's dependence on Moscow, after it failed to help during the Karabakh conflict.

He has frozen participation in a Russia-led security bloc while deepening ties with the European Union and the United States, and set Armenia on a path toward possible EU membership.

While U.S. President Donald Trump offered his "TOTAL Endorsement for Re-Election" to "great friend and Leader" Pashinyan, Moscow has bristled at the possible loss of yet another ally in its backyard.

"We will accept any choice made by the people" in the election, Pashinyan told journalists at a polling station in Yerevan after casting his ballot.

He said Armenia would pursue a balanced foreign policy after the vote, insisting "there is no question of choosing" between Russia and the West.

In a pointed remark, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in May: "We all see what is happening with Ukraine now... How did it all begin? With Ukraine's attempt to join the EU."

The Kremlin has been accused of seeking to sway the vote.

Analysts have noted misinformation on the web, hacker activity, and Kremlin-friendly narratives portraying Western cooperation as dangerous.

In the weeks before the vote, Russia banned the import of several products from Armenia -- seen as a move to heap economic pressure on the country.

And Armenian officials have warned that "enemies of freedom" are funding propaganda efforts.

AFP