Samvel Karapetyan & Vladimir Putin

Samvel Karapetyan: Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire and leader of the Armenia — Strong Armenia party, was the main opponent to Nikol Pashinyan. His party, which advocates for closer ties with Russia, came in second, but he is currently under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government's overthrow.

Vladimir Putin: Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, expressed displeasure at Armenia's pivot to the West, issuing warnings and implementing economic restrictions. He compared Armenia's path to Ukraine's, suggesting potential negative consequences for Armenia's economy and security.