politics
Armenia Holds Election as Pashinyan Seeks Third Term Amid Russian Trade Curbs and EU Outreach
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks a third term while facing Russian economic pressure and a divided electorate. The vote follows his push for EU ties and a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Azerbaijan.
Jun 5, 7:20 PM·2m read1 source
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Armenia holds a national election on 7 June with incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeking a third term. -brokered agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump.
Pashinyan hosted a large summit of EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Yerevan earlier in 2026. His domestic support has fallen from 54% in 2021 to around 30% today, largely over concessions tied to Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan took the enclave by force in 2023, displacing 100,000 ethnic Armenians.
A recent poll showed 44% of Armenians support the peace deal with Azerbaijan and 41% oppose it. Pashinyan's main challenger is billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who made his fortune in Russia. Karapetyan is under house arrest on charges of plotting to overthrow the government and is running his campaign through his nephew.
The latest International Republican Institute poll shows Pashinyan's Civil Contract party leading with 32%, while around 40% of voters say they trust no political figure. Russia banned the export of Armenian flowers, mineral water, cognac, fresh vegetables and fruit in the two weeks preceding the 7 June election. Russia accounted for 36% of Armenia's foreign trade in 2025.
Haykaz Fanyan of the Armenian Centre for Socio-Economic Studies said Moscow is trying to impact the final results of voting on June 7. Armenia's dependence on Russian military equipment has shrunk to around 5% of its military imports, with the rest coming from India, France, China and other countries. 50 per 1,000 cubic metres.
European market gas prices exceed $600 per 1,000 cubic metres. Vladimir Putin called on Armenia to hold a referendum as soon as possible on whether to join the EU or remain in the Eurasian Economic Union. On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50m for Armenia.
