Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Despite the current leaks, Bitcoin’s structural demand remains intact

Emil Lazarian

The current correction in Bitcoin and the broader crypto market is the result of a combination of factors, from deteriorating short-term investor sentiment to widespread capital rotation in global financial markets. Bitcoin has lost more than 14% in the last week, and has lost more than 22% in the last four weeks. Today, June 4, the price of the leading cryptocurrency briefly fell to $61,351, accompanied by one of the biggest liquidations in recent months. Foreclosure volume exceeded $1.6 billion, of which approximately $1.4 billion was long.


Institutional factors remain the main drivers of pressure. Since mid-May, US spot Bitcoin ETFs have experienced a steady outflow of capital. Net outflows totaled nearly $400 million on June 3 alone, and in total, more than $3.4 billion has been withdrawn from the funds in recent weeks. Since ETFs have been one of the main drivers of market growth in recent years, a temporary weakening of demand from institutional investors naturally puts pressure on the price.


Rising global uncertainty remains an additional factor. Investors continue to assess the continued impact of international tensions and the lack of signs of an imminent resolution to a number of conflicts, including the situation in the Middle East. In such conditions, market participants traditionally reduce the share of risky assets in their portfolios and increase the positions of defensive instruments, which puts pressure not only on cryptocurrencies, but also on other segments of the global capital market.


However, it is important to look at the bigger picture. Despite the current leaks, the structural demand for Bitcoin remains unprecedented. According to market data, ETFs have accumulated more than 509,000 BTC since March 2024, while Strategy has acquired about 651,000 BTC during the same period. In total, this represents a net demand of over 1.24 million BTC. In comparison, all Bitcoin exchange reserves are currently valued at around 2.7 million BTC, while the volume of coins owned by Satoshi Nakamoto is around 1 million BTC. In other words, in recent years, the market has absorbed a volume of Bitcoin that exceeds the estimated assets of the network creator and accounts for almost half of all exchange reserves, which highlights the scale of institutional interest in the asset.


Against this backdrop, CryptoQuant CEO Ki Yong-ju’s thesis that the market is undergoing a massive shift in Bitcoin ownership is particularly significant. Despite massive buying by ETFs and corporate investors, the price has returned to March 2024 levels. This may indicate not so much weakness in the asset as a major redistribution of supply among different groups of market participants, from early adopters to new institutional investors.


Global competition for capital puts pressure. According to Binance Research, the majority of investment flows are currently directed towards artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturers, defense companies and the energy sector. The CBOE dispersion index recently hit 42, one of its highest levels ever recorded, and is a signal that capital is concentrating on a limited number of popular investment themes. Under these conditions, Bitcoin and other digital assets temporarily lose some liquidity in favor of other segments of the market.


This is why we view the current correction as largely a result of macroeconomic factors and capital flows, rather than a crisis within the crypto industry. Unlike previous cycles, the market is not facing systemic infrastructure issues, bankruptcies of major players, or regulatory upheavals that could undermine confidence in the industry. On the contrary, the fundamentals of the sector continue to improve. institutional participation is increasing, use cases for digital assets are expanding, and the integration of cryptocurrencies with the traditional financial system is becoming ever deeper.


Kirill Khomyakov, Regional Head of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Binance




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Six Strong Armenia bloc candidates face arrest warrants amid criminal probe

Emil Lazarian
Law11:45, 6 June 2026
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Arrest warrants have been issued for six members of the Strong Armenia Bloc running for parliament, the Investigative Committee announced shortly after the Electoral Commission approved prosecutors’ motion seeking consent to indict them as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering and material inducement.

Under the law, authorities must obtain the Electoral Commission’s consent before charging or arresting registered parliamentary candidates.

The Investigative Committee said it is seeking to indict and place in custody Hayk Avagyan, Sasun Badoyan, Arthur Abrahamyan, Vahe Tavakalyan, Vahe Yeghiazaryan, and Ashot Sahakyan, who are running for parliament on the Strong Armenia Bloc’s ticket.

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EU and Russia clash as Armenians head to the polls, Putin fumes

Emil Lazarian
South China Morning Post, Singapore
June 7 2026

Russian officials have hit Armenian exports with new restrictions, while President Vladimir Putin has made thinly veiled threats comparing Armenia and Ukraine’s relations with Europe

Associated Press
Published: 5:29pm, 7 Jun 2026

Armenians are voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russian.

Casting his vote on Sunday, Pashinyan said that Armenia would continue strengthening its independence, statehood, democracy and rule of law. “The European Union is our main partner in democratic reform implementation and we will continue that path,” he said.

However, he also stressed that there were no tensions between Armenia and Moscow, saying, “our relations with Russia are institutional and based on mutual respect,” Armenia’s state news agency reported.

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.

Meanwhile, Armenian investigators said they issued six arrest warrants for members of the opposition Strong Armenia party the day before the vote, accusing them of buying votes. The nation’s Central Election Committee confirmed on Saturday that the party could run after a member of another opposition party, Republic, appealed for Strong Armenia to be barred over corruption allegations.

Trump offers support as Putin urges caution

Armenia’s National Assembly must consist of at least 101 members who are elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4 per cent of the vote to take a seat, while blocs made up of three or more parties must hit 8 per cent.

Two political blocs and 17 parties are taking part in Sunday’s election. Most pollsters and experts have predicted Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 following sweeping street protests, will come out ahead.

“I think Armenians expect, first of all, a peaceful, independent and prosperous Armenia from this election, as we have today,” said Hripsime Grigoryan, a member of the pro-European Civil Contract party and part of the outgoing government.

Pashinyan has spoken on several occasions about the need for a balanced foreign policy ensuring Armenia maintains good relations with the United States, Europe and Russia, as well as regional powers such as Turkey and Iran.

Despite this, Pashinyan has attracted far more enthusiasm in the West than in Moscow. He has been endorsed by several European leaders, as well as US President Donald Trump.

“Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, of Armenia, a great friend and Leader, is making his Country strong, wealthy, and very secure,” Trump wrote on social media, urging Armenians to “Make [Armenia] Great Again.”

This has displeased the Kremlin. Speaking to journalists after Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Putin said if the Armenian people saw benefits in joining the European Union then “we will certainly have nothing to say against it.”

Yet he also reminded reporters, “We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine’s joining or attempting to join the EU.”

Opposition wants closer ties with Russia

Unlike the Civil Contract party, most of Armenia’s opposition supports building stronger relations with Moscow.

The Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with Moscow. Party leader and Armenian-Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan is on trial for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow, which he has rejected as a politically motivated case. Karapetyan has coordinated the party’s campaign while under house arrest, aided by his nephew Narek Karapetyan.

Other potential contenders include former President Robert Kocharyan, who leads the Hayastan bloc and has accused Pashinyan of “seriously undermining” relations with Russia, and the Prosperous Armenia Party led by pro-Russian business owner Gagik Tsarukyan.

These parties have strongly criticised Pashinyan for attempting to normalise relations with neighbouring Azerbaijan. The Armenian leader and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialled a document on moving towards a peace deal at the White House alongside Trump in August.

The two countries were locked in a decades-long conflict over the fate of Karabakh, a breakaway region of Azerbaijan that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region during a rapid offensive in 2023.

“I want this government to change because the condition of our country is getting worse,” Sahakyan Elina, a supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party, told reporters at a rally on Thursday. “I don’t want to live with my enemies in unity.”

EU criticises Moscow

Russian officials have slapped new restrictions on Armenian produce in the run-up to the parliamentary vote, banning the import of Armenian flowers, certain types of cognac and wine, aubergines, potatoes, dried fruits, fish and more.

Russia says the bans are related to violations of agricultural import rules.

The European Commission on Thursday described the move as “nothing short of economic coercion.”

“By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponising economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well,” the commission said in a statement.

Moscow also controls a significant portion of Armenia’s energy and infrastructure and supplies it with cheap gas, which is a point that Putin has been quick to drive home in his meetings with Armenia’s prime minister.

Putin also has stressed that Armenia cannot join the EU and remain within the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led customs bloc.

“Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible,” Putin said. “It’s simply impossible by definition.”

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Armenians go to the polls under Russian pressure aimed at preventing a drift t

Emil Lazarian
NBC News
June 7 2026

Armenians go to the polls under Russian pressure aimed at preventing a drift toward West

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract face opposition from some parties that are vocally pro-Russian.

By The Associated Press

YEREVAN, Armenia — Armenians will vote Sunday in parliamentary elections as the incumbent government, under mounting Russian pressure, seeks to loosen ties with Moscow and deepen cooperation with the West.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his ruling Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course. The opposition they face includes some parties that are vocally pro-Russian.

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.

Armenian investigators said they issued six arrest warrants for members of the opposition Strong Armenia party the day before the vote, accusing them of buying votes. The nation’s Central Election Committee confirmed Saturday that the party could run after a member of another opposition party, Republic, appealed for Strong Armenia to be barred over corruption allegations.

Armenia’s Parliament, the National Assembly, must consist of at least 101 members who are elected for five-year terms. Parties must win at least 4% of the vote to take a seat, while blocs made up of three or more parties must hit 8%.

Two political blocs and 17 parties are taking part in Sunday’s election. Most pollsters and experts have predicted Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 following sweeping street protests, will come out ahead.

“I think Armenians expect, first of all, a peaceful, independent and prosperous Armenia from this election, as we have today,” said Hripsime Grigoryan, a Civil Contract member of the outgoing Parliament.

A campaign election flyer for current prime minister of of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.Nicholas Muller / SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

Pashinyan has spoken on several occasions about the need for a balanced foreign policy ensuring Armenia maintains good relations with the United States, Europe and Russia, as well as regional powers such as Turkey and Iran.

Despite this, Pashinyan has attracted far more enthusiasm in the West than in Moscow. He has been endorsed by several European leaders, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, of Armenia, a great friend and Leader, is making his Country strong, wealthy, and very secure,” Trump wrote on social media, urging Armenians to “Make (Armenia) Great Again.”

This has displeased the Kremlin. Speaking to journalists after Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Putin said if the Armenian people saw benefits in joining the European Union then “we will certainly have nothing to say against it.”

Yet he also reminded reporters, “We are currently living through everything that is happening in respect of Ukraine. And how did it start? It started with Ukraine’s joining or attempting to join the EU.”

Unlike the Civil Contract party, most of Armenia’s opposition supports building stronger relations with Moscow.

The Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with Moscow. Party leader Samvel Karapetyan is on trial for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow, which the Armenian-Russian billionaire has rejected as a politically motivated case. He has coordinated the party’s campaign while under house arrest, aided by his nephew Narek Karapetyan.

Other potential contenders include former President Robert Kocharyan, who leads the Hayastan bloc and has accused Pashinyan of “seriously undermining” relations with Russia, and the Prosperous Armenia Party led by pro-Russian business owner Gagik Tsarukyan.

These parties also have strongly criticized Pashinyan for attempting to normalize relations with neighboring Azerbaijan. The Armenian leader and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initialed a document on moving toward a peace deal at the White House alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in August.

The two countries were locked in a decades-long conflict over the fate of Karabakh, a breakaway region that had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia. Azerbaijan took control of the entire Karabakh region during a rapid offensive in 2023.

“I want this government to change because the condition of our country is getting worse,” Sahakyan Elina, a supporter of the Prosperous Armenia Party, told The Associated Press at a rally Thursday. “I don’t want to live with my enemies in unity.”

Russian officials have slapped new restrictions on Armenian produce in the run-up to the parliamentary vote, banning the import of Armenian flowers, certain types of cognac and wine, eggplants, potatoes, dried fruits, fish and more.

Russia says the bans are related to violations of agricultural import rules.

The European Commission on Thursday described the move as “nothing short of economic coercion.”

“By extending export restrictions on Armenian products, Moscow is weaponizing economic relations for political pressure. We know this playbook all too well,” the commission said in a statement.

Moscow also controls a significant portion of Armenia’s energy and infrastructure and supplies it with cheap gas, which is a point that Putin has been quick to drive home in his meetings with Pashinyan.

Putin also has stressed that Armenia cannot join the EU and remain within the Eurasian Economic Union, a Russian-led customs bloc.

“Being in a customs union with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union is impossible,” Putin said. “It’s simply impossible by definition.”

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Armenia Votes in Test of PM’s Pivot Away From Russia

Emil Lazarian
The Moscow Times
June 7 2026

Armenia Votes in Test of PM’s Pivot Away From Russia

By Mariam Harutyunyan for AFP and Irakli Metreveli for AFP

Armenia voted Sunday in a parliamentary election set to test Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s tilt to the West, as the country faces threats and allegations of interference from former imperial ruler Russia.

Turnout was 58.97% when polls closed at 16:00 GMT, the Central Election Commission said, with partial results expected early Monday.

Armenia and Russia are technically allies, but Moscow has compared the former Soviet republic’s EU ambitions to the same path it claims triggered its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The election comes after years of upheaval since Pashinyan was propelled to power in a 2018 street revolution.

The small Caucasus country is still reeling from long-time foe Azerbaijan’s military takeover of the Karabakh region.

The conflict came to an end in 2023, when the Azerbaijan army seized control of the enclave, and most of the Armenian population fled.

Pashinyan has framed the vote as a choice between a lasting peace with Azerbaijan or a return to war.

The 51-year-old has also sought to loosen Armenia’s dependence on Moscow after it failed to help during the Karabakh conflict.

He has frozen Armenia’s participation in a Russia-led security bloc while deepening ties with the European Union and the United States, setting Armenia on a path toward possible EU membership.

While U.S. President Donald Trump offered his “TOTAL Endorsement for Re-Election” to “great friend and Leader” Pashinyan, Moscow has bristled at the possible loss of yet another ally in its backyard.

“We will accept any choice made by the people” in the election, Pashinyan told journalists at a polling station in Yerevan after casting his ballot.

He said Armenia would pursue a balanced foreign policy after the vote, insisting “there is no question of choosing” between Russia and the West.

In a pointed remark, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in May: “We all see what is happening with Ukraine now…How did it all begin? With Ukraine’s attempt to join the EU.”

The Kremlin has been accused of seeking to sway the vote in Armenia.

Analysts have noted misinformation on the web, hacker activity and Kremlin-friendly narratives portraying Western cooperation as dangerous.

In the weeks before the vote, Russia banned the import of several products from Armenia, seen as a move to heap economic pressure on the country.

And Armenian officials have warned that “enemies of freedom” are funding propaganda efforts.

‘Reckless rush’

Pashinyan has insisted he does not want a rupture with Moscow. But the campaign is a battle over Armenia’s geopolitical future.

Pashinyan and his chief opponents have all accused each other of risking a fresh conflict.

Pashinyan told voters Armenia could face a “catastrophic war” with Azerbaijan within months if his Civil Contract party — leading in opinion polls — fails to secure a strong majority.

His opponents say that rhetoric is fearmongering.

Samvel Karapetyan, a billionaire Russian-Armenian businessman whose Strong Armenia party is polling second, has rejected claims he would drag Armenia back into Russia’s orbit, but warned against Pashinyan’s “reckless rush” to the West.

“Russia has been and will remain our strategic partner and principal economic partner,” he said.

Karapetyan has been under house arrest since last year on charges of plotting a coup — allegations he rejects as politically motivated.

In a high-profile visit in May, French President Emmanuel Macron threw his support behind Pashinyan, embracing the Armenian leader as a dear friend.

At an evening reception, Macron took to the microphone and Pashinyan to the drums for a rendition of “La Boheme,” the 1965 classic by the late French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour.

‘Voted for peace’

It remains unclear whether Pashinyan’s party can secure the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to pass constitutional amendments, which Azerbaijan has demanded as a condition for a final peace treaty.

Pashinyan’s democratic record is also on the ballot paper.

Eight years after he swept to power on a promise to dismantle Armenia’s oligarchic system, he faces increasing accusations of democratic backsliding.

Still, for many Armenians, the opposition remains associated with Russian influence and oligarchs.

“I voted for peace. Only Pashinyan can bring peace,” one voter, 63-year-old craftsman Hakob Hakobyan, told AFP.

Another voter, Khachatur Movsisyan, a 59-year-old mechanical engineer, said he had backed an opposition party “because the country, and all of us, need change in foreign policy, domestic policy and in negotiations with Azerbaijan.”

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Simonyan votes, expects no post-election developments

Emil Lazarian
Read the article in: ArmenianRussian:

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan, a senior member of the Civil Contract party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, cast his ballot on Sunday in the parliamentary elections.

He came to the polling station with his daughter and said he wants her to live in a “peaceful, rich, and open country.”

Speaking at a press briefing, Simonyan called on citizens to do everything to ensure a peaceful and free country.

Speaking about the ongoing criminal investigations into alleged vote-buying, as well as recordings released by law enforcement agencies, he said the public has a clearly negative opinion of the alleged bribery schemes.

“People who had no intention of voting, and those who were inclined to vote for those forces, are now either refraining or are going to vote very actively,” the Speaker of Parliament said, expressing hope that law enforcement bodies will hold everyone involved in the vote-buying schemes accountable.

Most allegations of vote buying have involved the Strong Armenia bloc.

The Speaker said he believes that only those who have distributed vote-bribes should be afraid. According to him, those political forces know they have no voters and therefore resort to such actions.

“I am sure they understand that they are going to lose and may stop engaging in politics, and the money stolen from the state will be returned so they cannot distribute vote-bribes. Seven or eight years ago we were fighting to ensure that the authorities did not distribute money; now we are fighting to ensure that the opposition does not distribute money,” the Speaker stressed, adding that a legislative initiative has already been put into circulation, under which the punishment for vote-buying will be increased from 7–8 years to 9–10 years.

Simonyan is confident that there will be no post-election processes. “If elections are free and fair, as they have been since 2018, regardless of who wins, such a thing cannot happen. It is impossible,” he said.

Simonyan said he is satisfied with the course of the campaign. He said Civil Contract has received a very warm welcome everywhere and encountered a conscious attitude. According to him, people understand that the choice is about peace and the future. Simonyan is confident that very few people will choose the past.

He believes they have increased voter turnout. “At the rally in Republic Square, I was moved several times because the energy, the sparkle in people’s eyes that I saw was something I had seen during the 2018 revolution. It was unbelievable, fantastic. We did not even think that so many people would come,” Simonyan said, adding that he hopes that in 2031, the prime ministerial candidate of the Civil Contract party will again be Nikol Pashinyan.

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Pashinyan administration to work toward speedy formalization and ratification

Emil Lazarian
Politics14:58, 7 June 2026
Read the article in: ArmenianРусскийTürkçe:

The Pashinyan administration will continue to actively advance the peace agenda and will sign and ratify the initialed peace treaty with Azerbaijan as soon as possible, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan told reporters after casting his ballot in the parliamentary elections.

Asked about the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process, Grigoryan, a member of the Civil Contract party, said that the initialing of the peace treaty and the 2025 Washington summit had created new opportunities for unblocking regional transport and connectivity links.

“The southern route has also become a necessity in the context of unblocking. We hope to make progress in this direction as soon as possible. The recent meeting between the deputy prime ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Armenia was also aimed at accelerating the border delimitation process as much as possible,” Grigoryan said, adding that the economic relations agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan had been discussed intensively since August 8 of last year.

“We regularly discuss how we can expand our economic cooperation, and I hope we will have an opportunity to move forward in this direction as soon as possible. Discussions are underway on expanding exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan, as well as exports from Azerbaijan to Armenia, across various sectors,” Grigoryan said.

He added that there is currently mutual interest on both sides in advancing this agenda.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is leading the Civil Contract party ticket in its bid for re-election.

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Sargsyan calls for high voter turnout

Emil Lazarian
Politics15:16, 7 June 2026
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Former President Serzh Sargsyan has called on voters to actively participate in the parliamentary elections after casting his ballot on Sunday. 

Sargsyan and his Republican Party are not running for office.

He told reporters after casting his ballot that he voted for “an Armenia capable of safeguarding the inviolability of its borders and ensuring the security, rights, and national dignity of its citizens.”

“I have come here to vote for an Armenia where lies and slander are condemned, and an active political stance is valued,” the third President of Armenia added.

He said the outcome of the elections depends on the voters and called on citizens to head to polling stations and vote.

Sargsyan added that he wants to see national unity in Armenia.

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Armenia election turnout reaches 33.84% by 14:00

Emil Lazarian
Read the article in: FrançaisՀայերենRussian

847,226 out of 2,505,102 eligible voters had cast their ballots as of 14:00 in the parliamentary elections, representing 33.84% of the electorate, the Central Electoral Commission reported.

The turnout was 14.48% as of 11:00.

Voting began at 08:00 and will continue until 20:00.

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