Russia warns of US strategy to back pro-Western parties in Armenia for 2026 polls

The United States has begun efforts to "promote" pro-Western parties in Armenia in an attempt to secure their entry into the country's parliament during the upcoming elections in 2026. 

This information was revealed in a report from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which was shared with Russian media, per Caliber.Az.

According to the SVR, the "promotion" of these pro-Western parties is already underway, with the goal of ensuring their success in the 2026 elections. The SVR described these parties as "uncompromising adherents of democracy," whose role would be to "hamper the hands" of the Armenian government, should it, like neighbouring Georgia, prioritize the national interests, traditions, and values of the Armenian people.

Earlier, on October 3, Sergei Naryshkin, Director of the SVR, commented on the ongoing Western interference in the South Caucasus, stating that Western countries continue to meddle in the region's politics. "The bloc of Western countries will not calm down and continues to interfere in the internal affairs and politics of the South Caucasus countries," Naryshkin said in a statement to the press.

This claim of foreign interference follows statements from Georgian officials. On September 27, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze acknowledged significant external interference in the country’s parliamentary elections but insisted that such attempts would not succeed. This came in the wake of the US withdrawing an invitation for Kobakhidze to attend a reception with US President Joe Biden on September 25. The Georgian Prime Minister described the move as a "frivolous 'humanitarian act' in favour of the opposition."

Tensions between Georgia and the West have risen in recent months, particularly after Georgia enacted a law on foreign agents, which came into effect on June 3. In response, the US imposed visa sanctions on dozens of Georgian citizens and indicated it might expand the restrictions. Georgian officials, including Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, dismissed the sanctions, with Kaladze stating that no one in the country feared them. Kobakhidze, meanwhile, called the sanctions insulting.

The situation escalated further when, on September 16, the US imposed sanctions on 64 Georgian citizens, which Kobakhidze linked to Washington's attempts to influence the upcoming elections. The Georgian parliament condemned these sanctions, calling them an attack on the country and a gross interference in its electoral process.

On October 26, Georgia held parliamentary elections, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party. However, the opposition and Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili rejected the results, alleging fraud. A rally was organized in Tbilisi on November 11 to protest the election outcome, which saw participation from MPs from eight EU countries, including the Baltic States, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, and Sweden.

By Tamilla Hasanova