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

Armenia votes on June 7 under mounting Russian economic pressure, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks re-election on a promise of European integration. His domestic support has fallen from 54% in 2021 to around 30% today, largely due to the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. His main challenger is billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, under house arrest on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. Former presidents Kocharyan and Sargsyan, aligned with Russia, also lead opposition parties.