Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday, emphasizing Moscow's commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Following Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned Armenia about the risks of rapprochement with the European Union, accused the country's leadership of "political gamesmanship" before the elections, and hinted at the influence of European politicians on the situation in the republic.

Adam Kadyrov, the 18-year-old son of the head of Chechnya, was awarded a medal "for his contribution to the Special Military Operation." This was announced by Akhmed Dudayev, Deputy Prime Minister and the regional Minister for National Policy, External Relations, and Information, on his Telegram channel.

Ruslan Kutayev, President of the Caucasus Peoples' Assembly, who found himself at the center of a scandal over his statements about LGBTQ+ individuals and so-called "honor killings," will remain on the current Platform of Russian Democratic Forces at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), despite the angry reaction of critics and their demands for his expulsion.

Following Russian pressure on Armenia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the EU to "think more about security" and not abandon the peoples of countries that could suffer because of Russia. Zelenskyy noted that "Russia is now threatening other neighboring countries, much more openly than before."

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned its ambassador to Armenia, Sergei Kopyrkin, to Moscow for consultations. According to the ministry's statement, this step is a direct response to the Armenian leadership's desire to strengthen ties with the European Union.

Vladimir Putin's speech at the press conference following the EAEU summit in Astana was more like a warning to Yerevan, couched in a detailed scenario of the consequences of Armenia's possible withdrawal from the Eurasian integration space.

Russian billionaire and leader of the "Strong Armenia" bloc, Samvel Karapetyan, has decided to respond to pre-election accusations through the courts. According to the Datalex legal database, the politician filed a lawsuit against the Civil Contract party and Public Television of Armenia, demanding a retraction of the information disseminated about him and a public apology.

The leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan issued a joint communiqué on Armenia's position on European integration. They supported the idea of ​​holding a national referendum in the country to determine its choice between joining the European Union and remaining in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Russia has stepped up covert operations aimed at undermining the Armenian leadership's re-election plans. Moscow has expressed concern about Armenia's growing ties with the West, Reuters reports, citing Western intelligence and confidential documents.