ARMENIANS are heading to the polls in a pivotal election as the country decides between Russian and Western cooperation.
The incumbent government, led by prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party, are under pressure to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen co-operation with the West.
Recently, Armenia has accelerated its integration with the European Union by securing billions in economic aid and advancing visa-free travel negotiations.
Prime minister Pashinyan has also led his country in launching the process of joining the EU (although it does not yet hold candidate status), as well as hosting a large summit of EU leaders earlier this year.
The small South Caucasus country of three million people was formally part of the Soviet Union and, following its dissolution, maintained close ties with Russia, joining the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization in 1991.
However, relations began to break down after 2020 when neighbouring Azerbaijan reclaimed major territories in Nagorno-Karabakh, and when Armenia formally appealed to Moscow and the CSTO, they refused to intervene.
Relations worsened even more by early 2024, when Azerbaijan solidified total control over the region following a lightning military offensive that forced the official dissolution of the ethnic Armenian enclave in the region.
But Armenia's warming to the EU has invoked a bitter response from president Vladimir Putin, who issued a threat to the small nation, saying that "the crisis in Ukraine began with efforts to move toward EU accession".
Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with a barrage of restrictions in recent weeks, while high-ranking officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia’s path to that already taken by Ukraine.
Ahead of the election, The New York Times reported that Russia had been "flooding" the small nation with disinformation, with internet attacks against prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, sexual assault and trafficking of human organs.
Currently, Armenian news are reporting Sunday's voter turnout at 33.84% as of 2pm, already almost 8% more than in the previous election.
It's been estimated that if pro-Russian opposition candidates worked together, they could match Pashinyan's vote, but divided, they would be unable to beat him.
The first results are expected from Sunday evening into Monday morning.
