Armenia braces for election as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government

Armenia braces for election as Russia piles pressure on pro-West government28 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRayhan DemytrieCaucasus correspondent, Yerevan, ArmeniaGetty ImagesFor ordinary Armenians heading to the polls on 7 June, the economic costs of turning away from Russia will be front of mindArmenia votes on 7 June under mounting Russian economic pressure, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks re-election on a promise of European integration.The election has drawn significant international attention to the small South Caucasus nation of three million people, which has steadily grown closer to the West while still intertwined with Russia, its largest trading partner.The rapprochement with the West is largely Pashinyan's doing. Since coming to power in 2018, the prime minister has steered his country away from Moscow, passed a law to launch the process of joining the EU, and accelerated the peace process with neighbouring Azerbaijan via a US-brokered agreement. The latter has won him US President Donald Trump's endorsement. Pashinyan also hosted a large summit of EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital, Yerevan, earlier this year.Pashinyan's critics have never forgiven him for giving up Nagorno-KarabakhYet despite these successes, Pashinyan's domestic support has fallen from 54% in 2021 to around 30% today.The main reason is Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave inside Azerbaijan that was home to 100,000 ethnic Armenians until Azerbaijan took it by force in 2023.Pashinyan's critics have never forgiven him for making concessions in favour of peace with Azerbaijan, like refusing to campaign for the release of former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh who are in jail in the neighbouring country. The peace deal with Azerbaijan, too, remains deeply divisive, with one recent poll showing 44% of public opinion in support and 41% opposed.Getty ImagesNikol Pashinyan's main challenger is billionaire Sa...