MINERAL WATER and roses. Cognac and strawberries. Cherries and wine. Even the fish. By the time Armenia held its general election on June 7th, Russia had banned imports of swathes(大量；大片) of the country’s goods. The Kremlin made dark threats about the Western-leaning prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and spread disinformation(虚假信息（故意误导）) on social media. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president, compared Mr Pashinyan’s pivot to the European Union to the “dangerous path” of Leon Trotsky (who broke with Stalin and was murdered by a Soviet assassin for it). The message to Armenia, once one of Russia’s closest allies, was clear: Think twice before you re-elect him.(传递给曾是俄罗斯最亲密盟友之一的亚美尼亚的信息很清楚：在重新选举他之前三思。)
矿泉水与玫瑰。白兰地与草莓。樱桃与葡萄酒。甚至连鱼也有。到亚美尼亚于6月7日举行大选时，俄罗斯已禁止进口该国大量商品。克里姆林宫对这位亲西方的总理尼科尔·帕希尼扬发出严厉威胁，并在社交媒体上散布虚假信息。俄罗斯前总统德米特里·梅德韦杰夫将帕希尼扬向欧盟的转向比作列夫·托洛茨基的“危险道路”（托洛茨基与斯大林决裂，并因此被苏联刺客暗杀）。传递的信息对曾为俄罗斯最亲密盟友之一的亚美尼亚来说再清楚不过：在重新选举他之前三思。
In the end, however, the Kremlin’s pressure campaign backfired(适得其反). Mr Pashinyan’s party, Civil Contract, won nearly 50% of the vote, giving it a majority in the National Assembly. A former journalist turned protest leader(转变为抗议领袖), Mr Pashinyan entered office eight years ago, following a peaceful uprising against Armenia’s old, Kremlin-backed elite. He has sought closer ties with America, the EU and Turkey, a historical foe(历史宿敌). Since losing a long-running war with Azerbaijan in 2023, he has also been working on a peace deal. “The Armenian people voted for regional prosperity and co-operation,” said Mr Pashinyan.
然而最终，克里姆林宫的压力攻势适得其反。帕希尼扬领导的公民契约党赢得近50%的选票，在国民议会中获得多数席位。帕希尼扬曾是记者，后成为抗议领袖，八年前在反对亚美尼亚旧有亲克里姆林宫权贵的和平起义后上台。他寻求与美国、欧盟以及历史上的对手土耳其建立更紧密的关系。自2023年在与阿塞拜疆的长期战争中战败以来，他一直在推动和平协议。“亚美尼亚人民投票支持地区繁荣与合作，”帕希尼扬说。
Western leaders welcomed the result. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said that Mr Pashinyan’s victory showed that “the spirit of the Velvet Revolution you led in 2018 is alive and well.” The union helped Armenia resist Russia’s economic blackmail, finding buyers for Armenian goods that Russia had banned.(欧盟帮助亚美尼亚抵御俄罗斯的经济勒索，为俄罗斯禁运的亚美尼亚商品找到了买家。) On June 4th the EU announced a small but symbolically important financial-aid package, worth €50m ($58m). It promised more to come.
西方领导人欢迎这一结果。欧盟委员会主席乌尔苏拉·冯德莱恩表示，帕希尼扬的胜利表明“你在2018年领导的天鹅绒革命精神依然存在”。欧盟帮助亚美尼亚抵御俄罗斯的经济勒索，为俄罗斯禁运的亚美尼亚商品找到了买家。6月4日，欧盟宣布了一项规模不大但具有象征意义的重要金融援助计划，价值5000万欧元（5800万美元）。并承诺更多援助将随后提供。