Kremlin orders Russian media to portray Pashinyan's party result as a defeat

Russia's presidential administration recommended state and pro-Kremlin media outlets to emphasize that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party received less than 50 percent of votes in the election. The information comes from an employee at a major pro-Kremlin media outlet.

Russia's presidential administration issued a recommendation to state and pro-Kremlin media outlets to portray Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's Civil Contract party election result as a defeat. This was reported by Meduza based on information obtained from an employee at a major pro-Kremlin media outlet.

The Kremlin's media directive reveals that Russia wants to emphasize the fact that Civil Contract received less than 50 percent support in the vote, presenting this to the public as a negative outcome. Such conduct reflects Moscow's continued interest in influencing Armenia's domestic political processes following Pashinyan's consistent moves toward distancing the country from Russia and pursuing a Western-oriented policy.

Relations between Armenia and Russia have cooled significantly in recent years. Pashinyan has criticized Russia for failing to protect Armenia from Azerbaijani pressure, and Armenia has suspended its participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Armenia has simultaneously strengthened ties with the European Union and the US.