Russia has intensified covert efforts to undermine the leader of Armenia’s bid for re-election next month, fearing his victory could lock in the former Soviet republic’s realignment with the West, according to Western intelligence and government officials.

Armenia’s election is becoming a test of Pashinyan’s westward foreign-policy pivot and Russia’s remaining leverage.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will "help our wonderful American energy companies gain access from Central Asia all the way to the United States," Trump wrote.