Donald Trump Gets a Boost in Putin's Back Yard

Armenia‘s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan has hailed a “historic victory” in parliamentary elections considered a test of his party moving the former Soviet republic away from Russia’s influence.

President Donald Trump had endorsed Pashinyan in Sunday’s ballot amid allegations of interference by Moscow, which has compared its EU ambitions to the scenario that triggered Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party won just under half (49. 8 percent) of the votes. This was less than the 54 percent it got in 2021’s ballot but ahead of the three main pro-Russian groups which got a total of 37 percent.

This was Armenia’s first general election since a military defeat by Azerbaijan in 2023 led Yerevan to pivot away from Moscow and make diplomatic overtures towards the European Union and NATO.

This is a developing story. More to follow.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 5:55 AM.