ADRIAN FLORIDO, HOST:
Armenians go to the Polls tomorrow in a consequential election that could determine whether Armenia moves closer to the West or remains in Russia's orbit. Lucy Martirosyan reports from Armenia's capital, Yerevan.
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AI-GENERATED VOICE: (As David Koechner) I'd like to take this opportunity to address all my fans in Armenia. Thank you for...
LUCY MARTIROSYAN: The voice isn't real, and neither is the endorsement. The video features an AI-generated version of American actor and comedian David Koechner, star of "The Office" and "Anchorman."
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AI-GENERATED VOICE: (As David Koechner) ...Remind everyone that Pashinyan's victory will lead to a new war.
MARTIROSYAN: The fake Koechner warns Armenians against voting for prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, part of a wider Russian disinformation campaign ahead of Sunday's vote. Kremlin-linked networks have flooded social media with attacks on Pashinyan as Russia fights to keep the former Soviet ally in its orbit.
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PRIME MINISTER NIKOL PASHINYAN: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in non-English language).
PASHINYAN: (Non-English language spoken).
MARTIROSYAN: At his final rally, the prime minister says his government is trying to move Armenia forward after years of war with neighboring Azerbaijan. But Armenia's westward shift has unsettled Russian president Vladimir Putin.
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PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: (Non-English language spoken).
MARTIROSYAN: Minister Putin says he has no objection to Armenia moving closer to Europe but also pointedly noted that, quote, "the crisis in Ukraine began with efforts to move toward EU accession." Moscow has increased economic pressure on Yerevan, restricting imports of everything from fruit to fish to cognac, warning it could curb supplies of cheap energy.
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JD VANCE: This is one of the oldest Christian countries in the entire world of true...
MARTIROSYAN: As Russia turns up the pressure, Armenia has drawn closer to Europe and the U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited in February. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in Yerevan last week, and days later, President Donald Trump endorsed Pashinyan's candidacy. The main opposition is led by billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian Armenian businessman with deep ties to Russia. His rallies continued even while he remained under house arrest, facing accusations of calling for the government's overthrow, charges he denies.
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UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).
MARTIROSYAN: So far, polls suggest Pashinyan is likely to win Sunday's vote, and as Armenians decide their future, the vote is also being read far beyond this country as a test of whether Moscow, Washington and Brussels can still shape the direction of a former Soviet state.
For NPR News, I'm Lucy Martirosyan in Yerevan.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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