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Armenia Goes to Polls, with Russia and EU Looking On
Pashinyan seeks a strong mandate as Russia intensifies pressure and opposition parties challenge his Western shift.
Armenians began voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sought a mandate to deepen cooperation with the West and loosen ties with Moscow.
Russian officials have implemented export restrictions on Armenian products in recent weeks, while President Vladimir Putin issued veiled threats comparing Armenia's potential EU integration to Ukraine's crisis.
Polls show Pashinyan's party leading with up to 32% support compared with 11% for Strong Armenia, while investigators issued six arrest warrants against opposition members the day before the vote, accusing them of vote-buying.
Countering what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Moscow's 'economic coercion,' the European Union pledged €50 million in aid and relaxed trade conditions.
Pashinyan's peace efforts with Azerbaijan remain central to the vote, a critical referendum as Armenia navigates the aftermath of losing Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani forces in 2023.