Russian President Vladimir Putin [Getty Images]
Russian President Vladimir Putin [Getty Images]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to send a congratulatory message to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose pro-Western Civil Contract party declared victory in the country's general election.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, speaking at a briefing Tuesday local time, was asked whether Putin planned to send a congratulatory message. "As you know, there are many unclear points," he said, according to TASS and other reports. "We need to wait for the final official results."

Peskov said Russia had received numerous reports of fraud during the electoral process. "Therefore, we need to wait until official conclusions are reached," he added.

TASS also noted that Armenian election observers and opposition parties had flagged an unprecedented number of irregularities on election day, including alleged ballot-box tampering.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the Armenian general election was held "amid unprecedented pressure on the opposition and interference by the West, particularly the EU." She added that Russia would formulate its position on future relations with Armenia based on "the actual actions of the Armenian leadership."

Civil Contract tops vote with 49.8%

The pro-Western ruling Civil Contract party retained its status as the largest party in the Armenian general election, though it fell short of an outright majority.

Civil Contract took first place with 49.8 percent of the vote. Pro-Russian opposition parties followed — the Strong Armenia party, led by Russia-born businessman Samvel Karapetyan, won 23.3 percent, while the Armenia party of former President Robert Kocharyan took 9.9 percent.

Ahead of the election, US President Donald Trump expressed support for Prime Minister Pashinyan, whose party has pursued a pro-Western course. The EU also threw its weight behind Pashinyan, announcing a support package worth 50 million euros (about 89 billion won, or approximately $57.7 million) for Armenia as it seeks EU membership.

Russia, meanwhile, had applied pressure on Pashinyan by imposing import restrictions on Armenian goods including flowers, mineral water, wine, brandy and tomatoes, and raising the possibility of cutting off gas supplies.

Pashinyan, who was seeking a third consecutive term, declared the result a "historic victory."

He said the Armenian people "voted for prosperity and cooperation in the region," and expressed hope for "positive responses from Turkey and Azerbaijan."

The remarks were seen as an acknowledgment that his party failed to secure the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to pursue constitutional reform — a prerequisite for formally ending the territorial dispute with Azerbaijan.

That dispute escalated sharply in 2023 when Azerbaijan launched a major offensive against Armenian separatist forces, before subsiding last August following the signing of a peace declaration brokered by Donald Trump.


yul@heraldcorp.com