Armenia’s pro-EU prime minister claimed victory in parliamentary elections, dealing a major blow to Russia’s regional influence.
In the years since it launched its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has also sought to exert greater control over Yerevan, spurring allegations of election-meddling and economic coercion. But that has sparked a backlash in Armenia, which has pivoted closer to the West instead, with the help of Europe: The EU offered Armenia emergency assistance to help offset export challenges.
Though Yerevan is still heavily reliant on Russia for trade, many there want officials to accelerate its shift to the West. “We want to be an open, European country that develops and prospers,” a shopkeeper in Yerevan told The Guardian.