Russia wants to send 100,000 Armenians to Armenia to vote against Pashinyan in

Nahapetian Samvel
May 29 2029

Armenians are not allowed to vote in elections from abroad.

Russian officials have in recent months discussed sending Armenians living in Russia to vote for Pashinyan’s opponents in parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, five sources told Reuters.com.

Armenians make up a large global diaspora, including a population in Russia estimated to exceed 2 million people. However, Armenians are not allowed to vote in elections from abroad.

One source — a senior American official — stated that there is debate within the intelligence community regarding how many people Moscow could realistically transport. However, according to him, intelligence services are taking this idea seriously. Armenians regularly travel between the two countries, with dozens of flights operating daily.

According to three sources, Russian authorities estimated the cost of transporting 100,000 voters at approximately $50 million. By mid-May, the Kremlin allegedly set quotas for each region on the number of Armenians to be sent and demanded reports from local administrators on preparations.

Reuters could not determine whether such a plan is being implemented in practice and whether it could narrow the large gap between the leaders of the electoral race.

According to a poll conducted earlier this month, Nikol Pashinyan’s “Civil Contract” party is expected to take first place with approximately 30% of the votes.

Samvel Karapetyan’s “Strong Armenia” party, according to the same poll, garners about 6% and significantly lags behind amid high competition.

Pashinyan came to power in 2018 after protests that overthrew his pro-Russian predecessor.

In August 2025, Pashinyan concluded a US-brokered peace agreement aimed at ending years of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over a disputed region. The deal involves opening a transport route through southern Armenia, allowing goods to move eastward towards Central Asia, and granting Azerbaijan direct access to its exclave of Nakhchivan and to Turkey.

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Russia reasserts iron grip over Armenia after Rubio’s high-profile visit?

Christine Harutyunian
Hindustan Times
May 29 2026

Russia has declared that its military presence in Armenia remains secure despite growing U.S. and European influence in the South Caucasus. Sergei Shoigu said Moscow sees “no reasons” to withdraw its 102nd Military Base from Gyumri, dismissing concerns over Armenia’s expanding ties with the West. The remarks came shortly after renewed U.S.-Armenia engagement linked to Marco Rubio and amid rising geopolitical tensions surrounding Armenia’s pivot toward Europe. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has frozen participation in several Russia-led security structures while pushing deeper cooperation with the European Union and Washington. Despite tensions, Russia continues to maintain thousands of troops, MiG-29 fighter jets, and S-300 air defence systems at its strategic Gyumri base, reinforcing Moscow’s determination to preserve influence across the South Caucasus.

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Fake news in Armenia claims ‘Curtain’ programme can manipulate election resul

Vanyan Gary
JAM News
May 29 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

A fake story circulating on social media claims that a secret programme called “Curtain” will operate during Armenia’s parliamentary elections on 7 June. The platform Haymitq.am published the claim first.

The article alleges that Armenia’s National Security Service of Armenia and the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia created the software on the orders of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. It further claims that the programme can monitor voters inside polling booths and alter election results in real time.

“The material in question is complete nonsense. Commenting on it would be even more absurd. The people spreading this disinformation want to create panic among the public,” Vahagn Hovakimyan told Factor TV.

The outlet also examined the claims about the alleged “secret programme” and found no evidence to support them. Investigative journalists additionally identified a number of factual errors in the story.

  • ‘Sensational but false’: scrutiny of election promises made by some political forces in Armenia
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What the fake article claims

The article carries the headline “Prime Minister Pashinyan’s Secret Software Threatens Armenia’s Democracy”. Haymitq.am published it on 21 May.

A few days later, on 25 May, users began widely sharing the article on Facebook. The platform’s advertising tools have helped keep the story circulating in both posts and Stories.

“Next Sunday, we will see whether they [Nikol Pashinyan and his team] have succeeded in altering the results through software,” the article states.

The authors claim that six months before the election, officials allegedly created a programme codenamed “Curtain”. According to the article, the software allows the ruling party to:

  • monitor how voters cast their ballots inside polling booths in real time;
  • calculate the percentage of votes received by each party;
  • alter the data when necessary.

The Haymitq.am website does not provide any information about its editorial team. The articles list Hamo Mnatsakanyan as their author, but the site offers no details about him. According to Who.is, the website was created on 17 December 2025.

How the false claim spread

A Facebook page called Armenia Aktual shared the article. Although the page presents itself as a clothing store for pregnant and nursing mothers, its feed includes content from Haymitq.am and other websites that publish questionable material. The page appeared in April 2025 and has changed its name three times since then.

According to Meta’s Ad Library, the page spent $95 on advertisements classified under “Social issues, elections or politics” between 23 February and 23 May 2026. During that period, it ran only one ad in that category. The advertisement appeared on 15 May and generated 60,000 views.

The page promoted an article from Yerevantimes.am. The article claimed that “during an event in Gyumri on 5 May, Pashinyan touched the French president’s groin”. Meta removed the post because the advertiser failed to disclose who paid for it.

Later, on 25 May, users began promoting the story about the alleged “secret computer programme”. This time, the advertiser placed it in a different category in order to avoid disclosing the source of funding.

The false claims about the “Curtain” programme did not spread only through Facebook advertising. Users also circulated them widely on X. Fact-checkers at Factor TV reported that numerous X accounts shared an AI-generated video based on the Haymitq.am article.

The video expanded on the original allegations. It falsely claimed that the head of the Central Electoral Commission’s Department of Information Technology and Electronic Management Systems had provided information about the alleged programme.

Videos shared on X

To make the video appear more credible, its creators used photographs and the logo of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission.

A user named Ethan Levins also shared a video containing similar claims. Levins describes himself as an American journalist and has more than 148,000 followers. Armenian fact-checkers say he regularly spreads false information about Armenia.

Voters’ choices are not recorded inside polling booths: fact-checkers identify manipulation

Journalists at Factor TV reviewed the claims and reached several conclusions:

  • the allegation spread through a non-transparent advertising mechanism;
  • the original source lacks editorial transparency;
  • the sensational claims contradict the technical procedures used in Armenia’s electoral process.

The fact-checkers argue that the method used to distribute both the article and the video based on it closely resembles “hybrid mechanisms for spreading disinformation”.

“Even the same users appear repeatedly in these campaigns. This suggests that the false claims are being spread deliberately and are intended to promote conspiracy theories about the 7 June elections.”

Armenian journalists also identified methodological flaws in the allegations. Under Armenia’s voting procedures, no system records a voter’s choice after they enter the polling booth and until election officials count the ballots at the end of the day. As a result, the kind of interference described in the article would not be possible.

“A voter’s choice is not recorded inside the polling booth and is not stored in any electronic system that software could access or alter,” the fact-checkers said.

They also note that election rules prohibit cameras or any other technical devices from monitoring activity inside polling booths.

According to the journalists, election officials use technical equipment only before voters enter the booth and solely for voter identification purposes.

As for the vote count, officials carry it out after polling stations close. Election commission members, authorised representatives, observers, journalists and other accredited participants can all witness the process directly at the polling station. Under current legislation, officials record the results in paper protocols.

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Russia heads for showdown with Armenia over Europe outreach

Arpi Talalian
Luxembourg Times
May 29 2026

The government in Yerevan has angered the Kremlin by declaring its intention to seek European Union membership

News agency
29/05/2026

Russian President Vladimir Putin joined a summit of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union on Friday amid growing tensions with Armenia over its shift toward Europe.

The government in Yerevan has angered the Kremlin by declaring its intention to seek European Union membership, though any prospect of entering the bloc remains years away. Putin earlier this month drew a parallel to Ukraine, which he invaded in February 2022, and Kyiv’s own desire to join the EU.

Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan skipped the talks, which also included the leaders of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, saying he’s busy campaigning for 7 June parliamentary elections. 

“There was a businesslike discussion of the situation that is developing, which everyone is perfectly aware of,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said about Armenia, according to the Interfax news service. He added that the four leaders made a statement on the matter at the meeting, but didn’t elaborate on its contents.

Meanwhile, Russia is threatening to impose economic penalties on Armenia if the small Caucasus republic continues to pursue its goal of bloc membership.

Russia will suspend or terminate agreements on supplies of gas, fuel and rough diamonds if Armenia continues its EU accession process, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow warned on Wednesday. Preferential gas supplies could be replaced by a market-based regime involving far higher prices if Armenia leaves the Eurasian Union, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia already this month suspended imports of flowers, mineral water, wine and brandy from Armenia, citing alleged breaches of phytosanitary standards. On Thursday, it followed up with restrictions that will also include imports of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and strawberries. 

“Moscow is explicitly deploying what is meant to be a trade forum as a geopolitical ultimatum: turn away from Russia and you will feel the pain,” said Bota Iliyas, a risk analyst at the London-based firm Schillings. “Applying pressure now, ahead of Armenia’s elections in June, is also a way for Moscow to make Pashinyan pay a price for his Western pivot.”

Armenia is at the centre of an increasing geopolitical struggle in the Caucasus region that’s a key element of the so-called Middle Corridor route for trade and energy supplies linking Europe and China through Central Asia and bypassing Russia. Long the region’s dominant power, Russia is now facing competition for influence from the US, the EU and regional powers including Turkey and Iran.

Russia remains Armenia’s largest trading partner, though the total volume has declined from its 2024 record of nearly $12 billion (€10.2 billion). 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a brief stopover in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, on Tuesday to sign a “comprehensive strategic partnership” agreement as well as a joint declaration on the planned ‘Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity’. The two sides intend to form a joint company to manage transport, energy and digital infrastructure on the route through Armenia linking neighbouring Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave. 

Armenia held its first bilateral summit with the EU in Yerevan this month, a day after it hosted dozens of world leaders for the European Political Community meeting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attendance at the latter event angered Russian officials, who accused Armenia of “unfriendly” actions.

Home to the only Russian military base in the South Caucasus, Armenia on Thursday marked its Republic Day with a military parade showcasing hardware purchased outside Russia, highlighting Yerevan’s effort to reduce its reliance on Moscow.

“The Kremlin is seeking to send a broader message to other post-Soviet states that may be tempted to follow Armenia’s example and deepen cooperation with the EU,” said Natia Seskuria, a senior research fellow in Russian and Eurasian security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute.

Putin warned Pashinyan that Armenia can’t be a member of both blocs and has suggested Russia is ready for a “mutually beneficial divorce” if Armenians opt for Europe. 

“We understand perfectly well – and we don’t need Russia to tell us – that membership in the EEU and membership in the EU are incompatible,” Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said last week. When the moment comes to choose, “we will make that decision,” he said.

Russia has rejected that approach and said it will raise the question of Armenia’s continued involvement in the EEU, even as there’s no mechanism to suspend or expel the country. Pashinyan said the matter can’t be discussed as Armenia isn’t seeking to change its status in the group. 

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan attended Friday’s meeting and said his country continues to work in good faith within the group. 

“While advancing on the path to the EU, which is the sovereign right of Armenia, it cannot and should not do so” using the funds of Eurasian Economic Union member states, Peskov said Friday, according to Interfax. “It has to do this at its own expense.”

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Think about it: Putin listed the points that Armenia will lose from leaving th

Liana Toganian
Eurasia Daily
May 29 2026
May 29th, 2026
19:24

At this moment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding a press conference in Astana following his visit to Kazakhstan. In his speech, in the first minutes he touched upon the situation with Armenia’s withdrawal from the EAEU and its future prospects. Here are the main statements of the Russian leader.

  • The Russian and Armenian peoples have been linked by bonds of friendship and special relations for centuries.
  • Any decisions that will be taken by Yerevan will not spoil the ties between Russia and Armenia.
  • The crisis on Ukraine started with a similar situation to what is happening with Armenia now.
  • Armenia now has access to a large and developed market of the EAEU, but if it starts to switch to EU standards, integration with it will objectively have to be curtailed.
  • Armenia will lose 14% of GDP, as energy prices will have to be raised.
  • Energy benefits are not the only advantage of the EAEU for Armenia. The share of Russian capital investments in the republic is above 86%.
  • Rail transportation tariffs for Armenia will have to be increased from the current domestic ones.
  • Armenia will not be able to import its agricultural products to Russia, and where will it send it?
  • In case of withdrawal from the EAEU, the usual requirements for migrants will begin to apply to Armenian citizens.

In conclusion, Vladimir Putin noted that the EAEU would ask Armenia to hold a referendum on EU membership as early as possible.

More details: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2026/05/29/think-about-it-putin-listed-the-points-that-armenia-will-lose-from-leaving-the-eaeu

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Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union urges Armenian referendum

Ophelia Vardapetian
Euronews
May 29 2026
By Peter Barabas & Aleksandar Brezar
Published on 29/05/2026 – 20:21 GMT+2

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) leaders gathered at a summit in Astana and urged Yerevan to choose between the Russia-led union and the EU, as the 7 June Armenian election emerges as a pivotal moment in the geopolitical evolution of the South Caucasus.

In the run-up to Armenia’s decisive 7 June elections, Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) leaders issued a joint statement warning Armenia that its EU accession plans pose “serious risks” to the economic security of all EAEU countries.

During their summit in Astana on Friday, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan called on Yerevan to hold a national referendum as soon as possible on Armenia’s choice between the EU and the Moscow-led bloc.

They warned Yerevan that its move towards EU accession may lead to the country’s suspension from the organisation and launched a so-called formal review into Armenia’s membership in view of a possible suspension by December.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already touted the idea of a referendum on Armenia’s future, saying earlier that it would be “quite logical … to ask the Armenian citizens what their choice would be.”

“Based on that, we would make our own choice as well,” he said at the time.

On Friday Putin also repeated an earlier parallel he made between Ukraine and Armenia, telling the gathered press that “the crisis in Ukraine began at one point with Ukraine’s attempts to join the EU.”

Putin has previously said that membership in both blocs was “impossible”.

Yerevan supports ‘mutually beneficial cooperation’

Armenia was represented at the Moscow-led union summit by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was busy with the election campaign for the 7 June elections.

A video from the summit showed Putin shaking hands with Grigoryan while greeting the other leaders.

The EAEU statement was conveyed to Grigoryan, who told the summit that Armenia “remains committed to constructive participation in the EAEU based on mutual respect, equal partnership, and consideration of all members’ national interests,” and that Yerevan supports “mutually beneficial cooperation”.

Armenia has consistently maintained that it does not plan to withdraw from the EAEU but will continue its pro-EU course.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk asked for patience when asked if there has been any movement on the matter during the summit, adding that the situation is “not so straightforward.”

Meanwhile on Friday, Russia continued to increase its pressure on Pashinyan’s government ahead of the defining Armenian elections, announcing that it would impose “temporary restrictions” on Armenian exports of certain fruits and vegetables, adding to the recent bans on Armenian mineral water, wines and brandy.

Russia’s restrictions come as the Kremlin has ramped up its repeated warnings to Yerevan over its pro-Western path, threatening to end its cheap gas and oil supplies, which are vital to Armenia, and to show Armenians the consequences of a possible Pashinyan victory on 7 June.

“I told Pashinyan, ‘Everything that is acceptable and good for the Armenians is acceptable and good for Russia. Do as you think is good for the Armenian people,” Putin said at the summit on Friday.

“Our people are connected by centuries of friendship and nothing can damage our humanitarian ties. But, there are questions that are purely economic.”

“It is not possible to reconcile the standards of the EU with the standards of the EAEU. That is why we shall be forced to roll back all our economic activities in Armenia” if it were to move closer to the 27-member bloc, Putin told reporters at the end of the summit in Astana.

Related
  • Trump endorses Pashinyan ahead of Armenia’s high-stakes, historic elections
  • US and Armenia pledge to move forward on economic corridor during Rubio visit

Amid widespread allegations of Russian interference in Armenia’s election campaign and support for the Armenian opposition, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Armenia conveyed informally to Moscow the message that certain Russian officials were not welcome as election observers.

Putin’s words right after Trump’s endorsement

The EAEU statement only mentioned Armenia’s pro-EU course, but it comes just one day after US President Donald Trump gave Pashinyan his “complete and total endorsement” for re-election, describing him as “a great friend and leader” who is making Armenia “strong, wealthy, and very secure.”

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan, where he and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed a strategic partnership framework, a critical minerals memorandum of understanding, and a cooperation agreement on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — known as TRIPP — a transit corridor linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia.

Trump linked his endorsement directly to Rubio’s visit, saying the US and Armenia would “soon break ground” on the TRIPP corridor, which he said would “transform the South Caucasus” and open energy access from Central Asia to the US.

Standing next to Trump at the White House on Wednesday, Rubio described the critical minerals deal as “a reminder of another war President Trump helped settle,” referring to the historic Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement Pashinyan signed with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at the White House last year.

“We are seeing the emergence of a great new relationship with Armenia,” Rubio added.

Pashinyan thanked Trump for the endorsement on X, posting the US and Armenian flags side by side.

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Firebird to Join Armenia’s National Education Efforts to Support AI-Native Le

Garo Vardanian
Weekly Voice
May 29 2026

Firebird to launch the Firebird Labs, an innovation platform that will invest in, incubate, and co-develop high-ambition technical ventures in Armenia.

YEREVAN, ARMENIA, May 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — • OpenAI, The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia, and Firebird are partnering to position Armenia as a global hub for AI-driven education, research, startups, innovation, and venture creation
• OpenAI is supporting the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport & Firebird Labs’ vision by providing technology access and technical support to ensure the benefits of AI extend to learners across the country

Firebird today announced the launch of Firebird Labs, an innovation platform that will invest in, incubate, and co-develop high-ambition technical ventures in Armenia. As first part of the launch, Firebird and The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Armenia are bringing AI access to 50,000 students, teachers, and researchers in Armenia, expanding access to frontier AI tools across the country’s engineering and research community. OpenAI is supporting the initiative by providing technology access, team support and API credits.

The initiative marks a significant milestone in Armenia’s emergence as a global center for AI-driven education and innovation. Through this partnership, founders, engineers, and researchers will gain access to world-class AI tools, infrastructure, and expertise, enabling them to build globally competitive companies and contribute to the next wave of technological innovation.

“The future of technology is not something that will happen years from now. It is being shaped today, in classrooms, universities, and research communities around the world. We believe that meaningful investment in education is one of the most important investments a country can make, especially in the era of artificial intelligence. Armenia has extraordinary talent, and giving students, educators, and researchers access to the world’s most advanced AI tools can help unlock a new generation of innovators and builders. What makes this initiative especially important is the partnership behind it. This is about more than technology, it’s about Armenia’s future,” said Alexander Yesayan, Co-Founder of Firebird.

“Armenia has one of the highest concentrations of engineering talent in the region, supported by a government that is actively investing in its future as a global technology hub,” added Razmig Hovaghimian, Co-Founder and CEO of Firebird. “With Firebird Labs, we aim to give a new generation of builders access to frontier AI models and world-class compute infrastructure so they can innovate and compete on equal footing with the world’s leading AI teams.”

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Jayna Devani, International Education Lead at OpenAI, added, “Intelligence is becoming a national utility and education has an important role to play in making sure people have both access to the tools and the skills to use them well. With Firebird’s investment in AI infrastructure and long-term commitment to Armenia’s innovation ecosystem, this collaboration brings together the country’s strong talent base, frontier tools like ChatGPT and Codex, and practical support for students, educators and researchers to help close capability gaps and strengthen the foundations for globally competitive innovation.”

Armenia is joining a group of leading countries advancing the use of Codex and ChatGPT Edu, designed for academic institutions, providing access to OpenAI’s latest models with enterprise-grade security and controls. This initiative will support universities and educators in integrating AI into teaching and research, helping prepare a new generation for a technology-driven future, following successful implementation in other countries and at leading institutions such as Harvard University and the University of Oxford.

“Armenia, like many advanced nations, also sees its future in technological development, and that future must be built on a strong and modern education system. We welcome this initiative, which expands access to artificial intelligence tools and creates new opportunities for our universities, educators, and students. The introduction of ChatGPT Edu and the development of AI-driven learning environments bring Armenia closer to leading global institutions, where such technologies are already transforming education. This is an important step in preparing a new generation of professionals who will not only use technology, but help shape its future,” said Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Armenia.

Firebird Labs, an innovation platform launching in Q3 2026, will invest in, incubate and co-develop high-ambition technical ventures across three strategic verticals: robotics and physical AI, aerospace, and life sciences. Firebird Labs targets five ventures per year, working with deeply technical teams over longer time horizons than a traditional startup program.

Selected participants (Frontier Fellows) will receive a comprehensive set of resources from Firebird, including:

• Access to the latest OpenAI technology to build during our upcoming hackathon, including Codex and API credits
• Firebird and OpenAI mentoring and technical support
• Dedicated GPU capacity from Firebird, scaling up to 1,000 GPUs, reserved for Frontier Fellows in 2027
• Structured research partnerships with leading Armenian, U.S. and European universities
• Firebird’s operational infrastructure, physical workspace, and ecosystem support in partnership with AI9 Startup Campus
• Participation in hackathons, global events, and potential investment opportunities

Details on upcoming hackathons, the competitive selection process, and opportunities to officially apply will be announced at a later stage. Participants will also gain access to major international events and may be considered for joint investment from Firebird and its global partner network.

Firebird Labs is oriented around original research, technical breakthroughs, and company formation on cutting-edge compute infrastructure. Armenia’s combination of engineering talent, government commitment, clean energy, and high-potential infrastructure makes it one of the few places outside the major AI centers capable of producing globally competitive frontier companies.

Firebird holds U.S. government export authorization and operates one of the largest GPU clusters in Europe, with the capacity to scale to 250 megawatts by 2027. Firebird’s Phase 2 expansion in Armenia, announced in February 2026, targets $4 billion in investment and 50,000 GPUs by the end of 2026.

About Firebird
Firebird is a U.S. and Armenia-based AI cloud and infrastructure company designed to provide secure, scalable, and globally accessible GPU infrastructure. Its mission is to democratize access to advanced AI computing, enabling innovation across research and enterprise in both the private and

GRIGORY YURIN
Firebird
[email protected]
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Armenia should hold EU referendum soon, Putin and allies say

Alex Jidarian
Arab News
May 29 2026
  • Putin said it was time for Armenia to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, insisting it was “impossible to reconcile the two“
  • “Whatever decisions are made, this will not damage our humanitarian ties,” Putin said

ASTANA: Armenia should hold a referendum on EU membership “as soon as possible,” President Vladimir Putin and three Russian-allied leaders said in a statement Friday, escalating pressure on Yerevan over its deepening ties with Brussels.


Armenia is formally allied with Moscow, but has been building ties with the European Union for years amid frustration over Russia’s perceived failure to protect it during conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan.


The Caucasus country froze its security ties with Moscow in 2024, and last year passed a law declaring its intention to seek EU membership, further angering Russia.


Armenia is still a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Russian-led customs union.


Putin said it was time for Armenia to choose between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union, insisting it was “impossible to reconcile the two.”


“Prime Minister (Nikol) Pashinyan himself said that he considers it right to hold a referendum on this issue, on where Armenia should position itself: in the Eurasian Union or in the European Union. We would like this to be done as soon as possible,” Putin said at a press conference in Kazakhstan, where he was attending a summit.


In a joint statement issued earlier at the summit, Putin and the leaders of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan warned Armenia’s moves to join the EU posed “significant risks” to the economy of Eurasian Economic Union member states.


“We share the position on the need to hold a national referendum in the Republic of Armenia as soon as possible on joining the European Union or remaining part of the Eurasian Economic Union,” the statement said.


Armenia did not immediately comment on the move.


“Whatever decisions are made, this will not damage our humanitarian ties, it will not damage our political ties,” Putin said.
Under Pashinyan, Armenia has formally pursued a strategy of what he calls “diversification,” in which the landlocked country pursues ties with both Russia and the West.

—

‘It’s Important To Get the Facts Straight’: Graham Platner Questioned the Arm

Chmshkian Vicken
Free Beacon Washington
May 29 2026

Democrats

‘It’s Important To Get the Facts Straight’: Graham Platner Questioned the Armenian Genocide in Now-Deleted Post, Called Mass Slaughter an ‘Incident’

‘I don’t think he’s going to do very well with Armenian voters in Maine,’ an Armenian human rights activist in the state said

Graham Platner (Sophie Park/Getty Images)
Jon Levine
May 29, 2026

Left-wing Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner—who’s repeatedly accused Israel of genocide—publicly questioned the Armenian genocide in a now-deleted internet post, the Washington Free Beacon can reveal.

In a June 2016 posting to Reddit, Platner responded to a thread about Germany formally recognizing the Armenian genocide, suggesting the widely accepted mass slaughter of Armenians during World War I was more complicated.

“The problem with your statement is that Turkey fully admits the Incident happened, the issue is whether it was in fact genocide or if it was mass killing/displacement,” Platner opined.

“I’m no fan of Turkey, but it’s important to get the facts straight.”

In a later post on the same topic, Platner tried to wiggle out of his past comment by clarifying that “I do in fact believe it should be termed a genocide.” But then he dug himself deeper into a hole by claiming that “while I’m no fan of the Turks, to say the actions of the Ottomans in relation to the Armenian population is the same [as Nazi Germany] is downright incorrect … To say Turks need to bury themselves in the national shame as the Germans have is just emotional pandering.”

The Armenians, who for years have been locked in a bitter diplomatic battle with Turkey over Turkey’s longtime refusal to take responsibility for the slaughter, might disagree with Platner that the Turks don’t need to feel shame.

Up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the genocide in 1915 and 1916, when the Ottoman Empire carried out systematic mass murder and deportation of the Armenian people. In recent decades, the Turkish government has furiously denied the genocide and used diplomatic pressure in attempts to rewrite history and keep other countries from acknowledging the atrocities.

Platner’s post prompted criticism from an Armenian human rights activist in Maine, Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, who called Platner “anti-Armenian” and said his stance on the genocide would hurt him with Armenian-Americans in the state.

“There has been denial of the Armenian genocide for over 100 years … He’s not getting my vote,” Turcotte told the Free Beacon. “I don’t think he’s going to do very well with Armenian voters in Maine.”

Platner’s nuanced approach to the Armenian “incident” contrasts sharply with his repeated and false claims that Israel is committing a genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

“I said on the day of our campaign’s launch that the genocide in Gaza is the moral test of our time,” Platner offered in a statement on the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel which left more than 1,200 dead. Platner had additionally called the United States “complicit” in the “genocide” and has condemned U.S. military assistance to Israel.

Historians have cited the Turks’ skillful 1920s and ’30s erasure and denial of the Armenian genocide as paving the way for the Nazi extermination of the Jews.

“Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?” Adolf Hitler said in 1939 as Germany’s mass murders of Jews were beginning to accelerate—in a quote which now hangs in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

In addition to Platner’s Reddit post, Turcotte criticized his January rally with Deqa Dhalac, a far-left Somali-born state representative tied to a nonprofit under congressional investigation for allegedly defrauding the state of millions of dollars in Medicaid payments. Dhalac has been criticized for her close ties to Tarlan Ahmadov, an Azerbaijani-born former Maine state official who resigned following allegations that he harbored anti-Armenian sentiment. Dhalac went on a junket organized by Ahmadov to Nagorno-Karabakh, a contested part of Azerbaijan whose original Armenian Christian population has long been brutalized by Azerbaijani Muslims.

Raising awareness of the genocide has long been a major issue for the United States’ small but influential Armenian community. In August 2019 Kim and Kourtney Kardashian and their families visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia, and have remained consistently outspoken on the issue. In 2021 President Joe Biden became the first U.S. leader to recognize the Armenian genocide, infuriating Turkey.

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Putin’s alliance threatens Armenia with suspension of membership over course t

Hambik Zargarian
UNN, Ukraine
May 29 2026

Kyiv • UNN

May 29 2026, 11:21 PM • 1056 views

EAEU countries demand Armenia hold a referendum to choose between the union and the EU. A report on the consequences of suspending Yerevan’s membership will be prepared by December.

Countries of the Eurasian Economic Union have threatened Armenia with a possible suspension of membership due to its intention to join the European Union. This was reported by Associated Press, according to UNN.

Details

During the EAEU summit in Astana, the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan stated that Yerevan’s pursuit of EU membership creates “significant risks” for the economic security of the association. Meeting participants commissioned a report to be prepared by December on the possible consequences of suspending Armenia’s membership in the union.

Russia threatens Armenia with sanctions over rapprochement with the EU; the issue will be discussed at Putin’s summit29.05.26, 08:00 • 3454 views

Furthermore, the heads of state called on Armenia to hold a referendum where citizens could choose between further movement toward the European Union and maintaining membership in the EAEU. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously rejected the idea of such a vote.

Elections in Armenia

The warning came on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Armenia, which will take place on June 7. In recent months, Yerevan has intensified contacts with the US and the EU, and has also suspended its participation in the Moscow-controlled Collective Security Treaty Organization. In response, Russia has already warned of a possible termination of preferential gas supplies and introduced restrictions on the import of several Armenian goods.

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