Recent Armenia Elections Will Affect Russia, Iran, US And The World

BusinessPolicyRecent Armenia Elections Will Affect Russia, Iran, US And The WorldByMelik Kaylan,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Melik Kaylan covered global geostrategic conflicts for three decades Follow AuthorJun 10, 2026, 04:38pm EDTArmenian leader Nikol Pashinyan won a crucial election that could change the entire region (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesYou shouldn’t be surprised by the amount of international news coverage given to the recent Armenian national elections. It was a potentially pivotal event on many levels, certainly geo-strategically. Not unlike the elections in Hungary, the possible domino effect could spell big changes for the region and the world. Armenia’s incumbent pro-west Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, won with just short of half the vote, over %49. Enough to gain control of the government but not enough to secure the necessary supermajority for the major Constitutional redrafts he needs to make to fulfill his electoral promises. Why does any of it matter to the rest of us? To begin with, Moscow unleashed its full propaganda power to oppose Pashinyan, incessant disinformation, bot farms, dark money, mass return of pro-Russian emigres - and explicit threats by Putin, “we are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine,,,And how did it start? It started with Ukraine joining or wanting to join the European Union”. In other words, if Armenia allied westwards rather than remain under Russia’s control, it would suffer the same fate as Ukraine. Despite all the pressure, and the presence of Russian bases in the country, the populace voted towards a direction away from Moscow. Here, then, is the first geo-strategic lesson of the election. Unlike the one in nearby Georgia in late 2012, the vote wasn’t won by a pro-Moscow oligarch - that same oligarch still runs Georgia with Russian money - despite all compar...