Armenia is holding parliamentary elections on Sunday in a vote that has become a referendum on the country’s direction. At stake is whether Armenia remains within Russia’s sphere of influence or continues moving closer to the European Union. The election comes at a time when the country’s foreign and security policy choices are under intense pressure.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has steered Armenia toward the EU after Russia did not protect the country from Azerbaijan. That shift has made the election a test of whether his government’s western-leaning course still has public support. It has also highlighted how much the country’s future is tied to the legacy of its relationship with Moscow.

Russia has also applied economic pressure on Armenia. According to Yle, Moscow has restricted the sale and import of Armenian products, flowers, mineral water and alcoholic drinks. The measures have deepened tensions and shown how vulnerable Armenia remains to Russian leverage in trade and the wider economy.

The European Union, meanwhile, has promised Armenia financial support. That pledge has given Pashinyan’s pro-EU line a practical political basis, even as the country’s strategic direction remains unresolved. Sunday’s vote will show whether Armenia’s voters back that course or want a closer return to Moscow’s orbit.