Russia intensifies pressure on Armenia ahead of June 7 election

Russia escalated its pressure campaign against Armenia as the country moved into the final stretch before its June 7 parliamentary election, warning that Yerevan was drifting too close to the European Union and away from Moscow. Civil Contract, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s party, was polling at about 30 percent, but the race remained open, with several opposition blocs, many of them pro-Russian, still in contention.

The pressure was not limited to rhetoric. Rosselkhoznadzor said temporary bans would begin on May 30 for a wide range of Armenian produce, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, leafy vegetables and strawberries. The move followed earlier Russian restrictions on flowers, mineral water and brandy, deepening the economic strain on a small, landlocked country of about 3 million people that relies heavily on access to Russian markets.

Moscow also threatened to hit Armenia where it is most vulnerable: energy and raw materials. Russian officials warned they could suspend or terminate supplies of cheap oil, gas and rough diamonds if Armenia continued pursuing closer integration with the European Union. Armenia imported 82 percent of its gas from Russia last year, giving the Kremlin a powerful lever even as it says it still sees Armenia as a natural partner. Russian military bases on Armenian soil add another layer of dependence.

Pashinyan has spent the past year pushing hard in the opposite direction. His government adopted a law last year to begin the process of seeking EU membership, and Yerevan hosted a high-profile EU-Armenia summit on May 4 and 5, attended by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Just days later, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership agreement in Yerevan, underscoring how visibly Armenia has leaned toward the West ahead of the vote.

The election carries weight far beyond Armenia’s borders. It is the country’s first regularly scheduled parliamentary contest since 2017, and the March 2025 municipal election in Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city, showed Civil Contract failing to win a governing majority. For Moscow, the vote is part of a broader post-Ukraine struggle over influence in the former Soviet space. For Armenia, it is a test of whether a smaller state can keep room to maneuver between rival blocs, or whether Russia can use trade, energy and geography to drag it back into a tighter orbit.