Russian billionaire and leader of the Strong Armenia party, Samvel Karapetyan, warned of the threat of economic war with Russia and the "collapse of the Armenian economy" if the current government wins the upcoming parliamentary elections on June 7. He criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for his "unreasonable and shameful" behavior in relations with Russia, accusing the Armenian government of turning the country into an "arena of geopolitical confrontation."

Karapetyan emphasized Armenia's deep economic ties with Russia, particularly gas supplies, the purchase of agricultural products, and the employment of seasonal workers, and stated that the current government "does not care about the well-being of its own people." He called for voting for his party for "real change," defining it as "a strong economy, unity, and long-term peace."

In response to this election campaign, the National Assembly of Armenia is considering a bill banning the use of personal names in the names of electoral blocs. According to media reports, this initiative may be aimed at Karapetyan, whose name is included in the name of his election bloc, "Strong Armenia with Samvel Karapetyan."

As a reminder, Samvel Karapetyan, who holds Russian and Cypriot citizenship, was previously nominated for prime minister, but the authorities declared his participation in the elections inadmissible. The politician is under house arrest in Yerevan and is accused of calling for a power grab and money laundering. He denies the charges.

In March, Pashinyan sharply criticized opposition presidential candidates Robert Kocharyan, Samvel Karapetyan, and Gagik Tsarukyan. He accused them of seeking to revise the established peace with Azerbaijan and, as he put it, "open the door to war."