As Armenia heads to the polls, Russia warns against electing 'pro-European forces'

https://i.cbc.ca/ais/2ea25e4c-c745-445d-9cbd-5d9b6e7ad31d,1780685003787/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C428%2C8192%2C4608%29%3BResize%3D%28620%29" title="Supporters of Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan, wave a Armenian national flag during a rally against incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at Republic Square in Yerevan, Armenia, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, as Karapetyan, who heads the Strong Armenia party, has faced criminal charges that he rejected as politically driven and campaigned from under house arrest." width="620" />

Thousands of people gathered in Armenia’s capital this week to decry the alleged traitorous path plotted by their current government, waving flags and warning that a vote to re-elect would mean "living here with Azerbaijanis" — the country’s longtime rival, with whom the present administration has reached a tenuous peace.

But a larger shadow looms over the upcoming vote: a historic break in the country's relations with Russia.