Author: Badalian Vardan

Part of Abkhazia’s opposition urges Armenians to vote against Nikol Pashinyan

Badalian Vardan Leave a comment
JAM News
May 29 2026
  • Sukhum

Parliamentary elections will take place in Armenia on 7 June 2026. Ahead of the vote, part of Abkhazia’s opposition has urged Armenians to vote against the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Other opposition figures in Abkhazia reacted negatively to the appeal, arguing that it amounts to interference in Armenia’s internal affairs.

Several opposition organisations informally led by Adgur Ardzinba appealed to Alik Minasyan, asking him to encourage Armenian citizens to make what they described as the “right choice”. In other words, they urged voters to support political forces that regard alliance and friendship with Russia as fundamental principles.

“In the current geopolitical reality, strengthening relations between Armenia and Russia, our strategic partner and ally, serves as a guarantee of stability, security in the South Caucasus and Armenia’s future prosperity.

We are convinced that the voice of Abkhazia’s Armenian community will be heard by Armenia’s citizens, who will choose in favour of Armenian-Russian friendship,” the organisations said in a joint statement.

Alik Minasyan has not yet responded publicly to the appeal. Other Abkhaz opposition figures, however, reacted strongly against it. They argued that if Abkhazians dislike attempts by outsiders to influence elections in their republic, they should not try to influence elections elsewhere.

“We believe that focusing on the internal problems of our own society would be more logical and more useful,” said Aidgylara, which is led by another informal opposition leader, Kan Kvarchia.

Another opposition organisation, Apsuaa Rymch, argued that local Armenians are, first and foremost, citizens of Abkhazia. The group said that “instrumentalising an ethnic community and attempting to draw it into electoral processes abroad is a short-sighted step that does not contribute to civic harmony but instead imports foreign political crises into our society”.

Akhra Bzhania, the leader of the civic organisation Akhyatsa, also expressed surprise at the appeal and drew a comparison with Abkhazia itself.

“Imagine that an Abkhaz community existed in Armenia, and Armenian political and civic organisations suddenly issued a joint appeal urging it to support a particular candidate in elections in Abkhazia. I wonder whether we would welcome such advice,” he said.

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Armenia’s Parade Signals Shift in Military Alliances

Badalian Vardan Leave a comment
DevDiscourse
May 28 2026

Armenia’s Soviet-style military parade displayed foreign-made weaponry as tensions with Russia rise. With pre-election timing, the event showcased India’s air defence, France’s artillery, and Armenia’s drones. Host to Russian bases, Armenia diversifies military suppliers while angering Russia, as it explores EU ties under PM Nikol Pashinyan.

Key Takeaways

AI Summary

  • Armenia held a Soviet-style military parade showcasing foreign-made weaponry ahead of parliamentary elections.
  • The parade featured military equipment from India, France, Armenia, and Russia, marking the first heavy display since 2016.
  • Critics argue the parade is a strategic move amid rising tensions with Russia as Armenia diversifies its military alliances.
  • Prime Minister Pashinyan’s push for closer ties with Western nations is straining Armenia’s traditional reliance on Russian defense supplies.

Armenia staged a Soviet-style military parade showcasing its arsenal of foreign-made weaponry, fueling speculation in the days leading up to the parliamentary elections. Highlighting the array of military equipment, the parade featured India’s air defense systems, France’s artillery, Armenian drones, and Russian rocket launchers.

The parade, held at Yerevan’s main square, marks the first heavy weaponry display since 2016 and drew criticism from government opposition as it appeared to be a strategic move amid rising tensions with Russia. Armenia, traditionally reliant on Russia for defense supplies, has expanded its military procurement to include countries like India and France.

As Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks a third term, Armenia’s growing ties with Western nations place pressure on its relationship with Russia. Moscow, displeased with Yerevan’s EU aspirations, has threatened to halt crucial supplies like oil, gas, and diamonds, highlighting the geopolitical tightrope Armenia is navigating.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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Moscow Warns Armenia Could Lose Cheap Fuel Over EU Path

Badalian Vardan
Modern Diplomacy
May 27 2026

Russia announced that it would stop supplying cheap oil and gas to Armenia if the country continues its efforts to join the European Union.

Russia announced that it would stop supplying cheap oil and gas to Armenia if the country continues its efforts to join the European Union. This warning came just before the June 7 election, where Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party leads in the polls. Maria Zakharova from the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that a letter had been sent officially warning of the suspension of agreements on the supply of natural gas, petroleum, and diamonds if Armenia proceeds with EU membership.

Armenia, a landlocked nation of about 3 million people, has historically been close to Russia, relying heavily on it for energy—importing 2.7 billion cubic meters of gas last year, with 82% from Russia. However, relations have weakened as Armenia has sought closer ties with the West. Recently, U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yerevan and signed a strategic partnership agreement, alongside Armenia’s law to begin the EU accession process.

With information from Reuters

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Russia Is Turning the Screws on Armenia Over Its Tilt to Europe

Badalian Vardan
Financial Post
May 23 2026

Armenia’s pivot toward the West is coming under increasing pressure from Vladimir Putin’s Russia as the South Caucasus nation prepares for parliamentary elections next month.

(Bloomberg) — Armenia’s pivot toward the West is coming under increasing pressure from Vladimir Putin’s Russia as the South Caucasus nation prepares for parliamentary elections next month. 

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For decades, Armenia was seen as Russia’s closest ally in the region — hosting Russian troops at a military base, relying heavily on the Kremlin for weapons, and integrating deeply into Moscow-led political and economic structures. But Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s aspirations to join the European Union and engineer Armenia’s most significant realignment since the collapse of the Soviet Union have exacerbated already strained ties.

Yerevan’s hosting of a European summit this month that was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy drew Moscow’s particular ire. Armenian flower imports were subsequently banned, as Russian officials branded Armenia’s actions “unfriendly.” 

The Kremlin’s now threatening to raise Armenia’s continued membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, a customs bloc of former Soviet states, at a May 29 summit in Kazakhstan.

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Putin addressed the deterioration in ties on May 9, telling reporters that Armenia should put the issue to a referendum and that Russia was ready to conduct an “intelligent and mutually beneficial divorce” if voters chose a European path. 

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But he also drew parallels with Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine stretching back to 2014. “How did it start? It started with Ukraine’s joining or attempting to join the EU,” Putin said.

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Pashinyan pushed back Friday, saying only Armenia can discuss its membership status in the EEU. He plans to skip the summit in Kazakhstan to campaign for his ruling Civil Contract party in the June 7 parliamentary elections in Armenia.

Several opposition groups in the election want closer ties with Russia, including the Strong Armenia alliance led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, the Prosperous Armenia Party of tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan and the Armenia alliance led by ex-President Robert Kocharyan, who ruled the country for a decade until 2008. 

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Karapetyan is campaigning while facing prosecution in Armenia on charges including money laundering, tax evasion and attempts to usurp power. He has rejected the allegations as politically motivated. 

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The Foreign Ministry in Moscow late Wednesday denounced as “fake news” a report alleging that the Kremlin was coordinating an information campaign against Pashinyan, and that several Armenian opposition figures had links to Russian intelligence. 

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“We view the latest ‘sensation’ about ‘Russian agents in Yerevan’ as yet another episode in the campaign to oust Russia from the South Caucasus,” the ministry said in a Telegram post that blamed “Brussels-based propagandists.” 

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The standoff carries echoes of 2013, when then-President Serzh Sargsyan abruptly abandoned plans to sign an association agreement with the EU and instead joined the EEU under Kremlin pressure.

Tensions began to spiral after Azerbaijan’s military victories in 2020 and 2023 over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh exposed the limits of Russian security guarantees to Armenia. Officials in Yerevan increasingly questioned the value of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Moscow-led military alliance that Armenia once viewed as the cornerstone of its security doctrine.

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The Pashinyan government effectively froze participation in the CSTO and repeatedly skipped high-level meetings, triggering hostile responses from Russian officials and state media. It also began to strengthen cooperation with the US and NATO.

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A preliminary peace accord signed by Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at White House talks with President Donald Trump in August opened the door for deeper US engagement in Armenia, too. 

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The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, a transport and energy corridor linking Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenia, will give the US a stake in the Caucasus region potentially for a century through a joint venture with Yerevan.

Yet Armenia’s attempt to distance itself from Moscow remains constrained by deep economic and structural dependence.

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Russia continues to dominate key sectors of Armenia’s energy system, including its nuclear power plant, as well as transport infrastructure and trade flows. Remittances from Armenians working in Russia remain a critical source of income for thousands of households.

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Still, the nation of about 3 million people is accelerating cooperation with Brussels, which held its first-ever summit with Armenia this month. That’s after Armenian lawmakers voted last year to commit the government to begin preparations for seeking eventual EU accession.

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Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters Tuesday that Yerevan isn’t contemplating divorce from Russia and wants good relations with Moscow even as it builds ties with the EU. 

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“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,” Mirzoyan said. When the moment comes to choose “we will make that decision,” he said. 

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Armenia’s approach of remaining in the EEU until it switches to the EU was “absolutely unacceptable” to Moscow, the Interfax news service reported Wednesday. 

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“Armenia won’t be able to dance at two weddings at the same time,” Galuzin said.

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—With assistance from Chris Miller.

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“Rosselkhoznadzor” representatives inspect Armenian companies

Badalian Vardan
Photo: sputnik

Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan announced that Russian “Rosselkhoznadzor” specialists are carrying out studies in Armenian companies in order to review the previously applied export bans. At the same time, the minister announced the doubling of export volumes to China and the European Union, emphasizing the state strategy of market diversification.


Referring to the possible new restrictions on the import of Armenian agricultural products by the Russian Federation, Papoyan noted that the Armenian side has not yet received an official letter. According to him, the representatives of “Rosselkhoznadzor” are currently conducting on-site inspections of the companies whose access to the Russian market was closed. In case of a positive conclusion of the inspections, the possibility of supplies will be restored for those companies. The minister described this process as a normal working situation.


Earlier, the Russian agency justified its move with the need to ensure phytosanitary safety, citing that a significant number of quarantine objects were found in a large batch of Armenian flowers last year, which made up the vast majority of the total number of similar incidents. The restrictions will be in effect until the completion of inspections of Armenian greenhouses and a detailed analysis of the results.


The minister did not rule out that some internal political forces of Armenia are deliberately trying to create obstacles for Armenian producers and farmers in the Russian market. However, he assured that the government is monitoring the situation and providing prompt solutions. As a successful example, he pointed to the settlement of document problems related to the Russian Wildberries and Ozon platforms. currently, hundreds of Armenian companies have already restored or are restoring their sales opportunities on the mentioned platforms through an automated procedure.


In the context of economic security, Papoyan particularly emphasized the successes recorded in the direction of diversification of export markets. According to the minister, in January-April 2026, the export from Armenia to China and the European Union doubled.


“We must continue this work so that in the next 2-3 years, Armenia does not depend on any market, and the problem arising in any market does not have a significant impact on our economy,” added the minister, assuring that the work with Russian partners continues actively, and no serious problems are predicted.

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Armenia participates in Europol-led EMPACT workshop on weapons and ammunition

Badalian Vardan
Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Armenia17:42, 19 May 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Ara Fidanyan, Armenia’s liaison officer at Europol, recently took part in the first joint workshop for law enforcement agencies and private sector representatives dedicated to weapons and ammunition tracing, organised in Prague under the European Union’s EMPACT programme – the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats.

Representatives of law enforcement bodies from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Malta, Kosovo and Switzerland also attended the event.

According to Armenia’s Interior Ministry, participants discussed the need to trace civilian ammunition in order to help solve firearm-related crimes and prevent the illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition.

The workshop also examined technical possibilities for marking ammunition to ensure traceability.

As part of the programme, participants visited the globally recognised arms manufacturers Sellier & Bellot and Česká zbrojovka (CZ) to familiarise themselves with production processes and ammunition marking technologies used at the facilities.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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Provocation, division and fear. what is hidden behind the scandalous video?

Badalian Vardan

Internal enmity has acquired such extreme manifestations that it has deprived him of the minimum ability to think soberly and analyze. The real value of the obviously staged terrorist threat video should be assessed, at least taking into account the timeline in which it appeared and what kind of developments it may contribute to.


First of all, just a few days before that, a resolution of the Azerbaijani government was put into circulation in the UN, by which an attempt is made to accuse Armenia of carrying out terrorism with the involvement of mercenaries. Let’s note that the Azerbaijani press has mastered a different level in making and distributing anti-Armenian videos in the Armenian language.


Instead of countering it, mutual accusations and threats to cancel the elections immediately followed in our country regarding the said video. And in the current situation of the balance of power, I think other questions are unnecessary…


Doctor of Law, Professor Gevorg Danielyan




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71 violations were registered on the eve of parliamentary elections in Armenia

Badalian Vardan

The “Fair Voting” observation mission recorded 71 violations on the eve of the parliamentary elections in Armenia. The head of the mission, Sonya Hambardzumyan, said this at a meeting with journalists on May 19.


According to him, the observation mission organized by the youth non-governmental organization “Federation of Youth Clubs” discovered 16 cases of abuse of official position, as well as use of administrative and state resources for pre-election purposes.


Another 12 violations, as Hambardzumyan noted, are related to manifestations of hatred, humiliation and political intolerance. In addition, 7 cases of involvement of children and minors in electoral processes were registered.


The head of the mission emphasized that all the listed violations were discovered only in the last 7-8 days.

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Armenpress: Kazakh President signs decree on introducing AI into secondary edu

Badalian Vardan
World10:42, 14 May 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree aimed at integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into the country’s secondary education system, Kazinform news agency reported.

Under the decree, the Kazakh government is expected to approve, by July 1, a comprehensive action plan for 2026–2029 focused on the large-scale introduction of AI into schools.

The plan will include mechanisms for personalized learning, the development of digital infrastructure, teacher training, and the protection of students’ personal data.

Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Published by Armenpress, original at 
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“I will treat him as his beloved oligarch treated him.” Roo

Badalian Vardan

May 12, 2026

aravot.am-writes: “Go, ask that citizen what would have happened to him if he had not shouted “traitor” or sexual insults to the Mayor of the Center Gagik Beglaryan or the head of the Football Federation Ruben Hayrapetyan, but had simply looked at the citizen,” RA NA Speaker Alen Simonyan was irritated by the question of “24 News” about spitting on the citizen.

Referring to these statements at the request of “Aravot”, Ruben Hayrapetyan said:

“I’ve already said it once and I’ll confirm it again: Alen Simonyan probably thinks that I’ll hug him from behind, but I’m not the type of person who hugs him from behind. I like to hug women. God willing, we will meet one day, and I will behave as his beloved oligarch behaved with him.”

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