Burc Eruygur
08 June 2026•Update: 08 June 2026
Russia claimed on Monday that Armenia’s parliamentary election was held over the weekend amid Western interference and "unprecedented pressure” on the country’s opposition.
“On June 7, parliamentary elections were held in Armenia amid unprecedented pressure on the opposition and interference from the West, primarily the EU,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
Arguing that preliminary results show a significant decline in support for the country's ruling Civil Contract party, Zakharova said there is a “clear demand” in Armenian society for closer ties with Russia and for Yerevan’s continued participation in Eurasian integration structures.
Zakharova further said that the election campaign and the voting process took place amid “harsh repression" by Armenian authorities.
She accused the country’s leadership of “flagrant violation of democratic principles and procedures for holding free elections” and persecuting those advocating for bolstering Armenia’s “vital union with Russia.”
“We hope that the Armenian authorities will be guided by approaches based on national interests," she said.
As for Moscow's future relations with Armenia, she said: "We intend to formulate our course taking into account the actual steps taken by the Armenian leadership.”
About 1.47 million out of approximately 2.5 million Armenians cast their ballots on Sunday at 2,005 polling stations nationwide during Armenia’s parliamentary election, amounting to a turnout of nearly 59%.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party secured 49.82% of the vote, according to preliminary results shared by Armenia’s Central Election Commission, while its closest competitor, the Strong Armenia party, led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, received 23.28%.
Elsewhere, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a press briefing later Monday that he would refrain from commenting on the election in Armenia on Sunday as the final results of the vote have not yet been announced.
"In the meantime, we are carefully monitoring all reports that arise around these elections. We are also recording reports of the numerous violations that occurred during these elections," he added.
