Samvel Karapetyan & Vladimir Putin

Samvel Karapetyan: Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire and leader of the Armenia — Strong Armenia party, was the main opposition candidate. He is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government's overthrow and his party, which advocates for closer ties with Russia, came in second.

Vladimir Putin: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, expressed displeasure at Armenia's pivot towards the West, issuing warnings and imposing economic restrictions. He compared Armenia's path to that of Ukraine, suggesting negative consequences for its relations with Russia.

Samvel Karapetyan: Samvel Karapetyan>>>, a Russian-Armenian businessman and leader of the Armenia — Strong Armenia>>> bloc, is under house arrest on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government, which he rejects as politically motivated. His detention, along with the arrests of his party's candidates, significantly impacts the opposition's ability to contest the elections effectively.

Vladimir Putin: Russian President Vladimir Putin>>> warned that Armenia>>> could lose up to 14% of its GDP if it leaves the Eurasian Economic Union>>> due to closer integration with the European Union>>>.