Germany accuses Russia of meddling in Armenia's elections as well. 'Trying to scare voters' through 'disinformation and sabotage'

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned on Tuesday of possible Russian interference in next year's Armenian parliamentary elections, accusing Moscow of trying to prevent closer ties between the EU and the Caucasian nation, AFP reports.

In a press conference in Berlin alongside his Armenian counterpart, Nikol Paşinyan, the German leader complained that “it has become a disturbing normality for elections to be attacked by the enemies of democracy.”

Friedrich Merz accused Russia of “trying to scare Armenian voters” and “spreading falsehoods about the goals and values ​​of the European Union” through “disinformation and sabotage”.

“Russia is trying to destabilize not only Europe by hybrid means, but also Armenia,” added the German official.

Armenia is moving further and further away from Russia's orbit

In March, Armenia's parliament passed a bill to launch the EU accession process, as the country, a historic ally of Russia, moves further away from Moscow's orbit.

According to the translation provided by the German side, Paşinyan said at the press conference in Berlin that Armenia already had elections held “under very difficult circumstances” in 2021, and that the country “had experiences with disinformation.”

Western security services accuse Russia of a series of drone operations, acts of sabotage, cyber attacks and online disinformation campaigns that took place in Europe and escalated in the context of Moscow's war against Ukraine in February 2022.

Merz encouraged Pashinyan to move closer to the EU, saying “there is now a historic opportunity for Armenia to embark on the path to Europe,” but warned that the country would have to “meet many conditions to join the European Union, including the Copenhagen criteria.”

In August, following efforts by the White House, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement after decades of conflict over territorial claims.