EU Deploys Experts to Armenia to Address Foreign Interference Before June Elections

The European Union is sending a team of experts specialized in combating Russian propaganda and interference to Armenia, The Guardian reported. This deployment aims to bolster the country's defenses against foreign meddling as it approaches parliamentary elections on 7 June.

EU leaders will hold their first summit with Armenia on Tuesday in Yerevan, following a pan-European gathering of about 45 leaders at the European Political Community summit in the city.

On Tuesday, Armenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, along with EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, are expected to formally welcome the concept of an EU mission to counter foreign interference in Armenia at the summit. The discussions will also cover energy, transport and economic support.

The EU is setting up a team of 20-30 civilian experts for a two-year mission based in Armenia.

This mission focuses on improving responses to Russian cyber-attacks, information manipulation, interference and countering illicit financial flows. It is expected to start work after the parliamentary elections on 7 June. Separately, the EU’s foreign service has announced a hybrid rapid-response team with the short-term goal of battling foreign interference before the elections on 7 June.

Kaja Kallas said last month: “Armenians are facing massive disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks. ” The European Political Community summit with Nikol Pashinyan and other European leaders occurred in 2025. A pan-European gathering of about 45 leaders took place at that summit in Yerevan.

Armenia has been deepening ties with the EU as Russian influence has declined since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Armenia held wars in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 and 2023, during which Moscow failed to send military aid to Armenia. Armenia’s velvet revolution occurred in 2018.

Armenia’s parliament passed a law last year declaring its intention to apply for EU membership.