Lukashenko warns Armenia: do not repeat Ukraine's fate

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warned the Armenian people to be cautious in choosing between the Eurasian Union and the European Union. According to him, Armenia should avoid repeating what happened in Ukraine.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called on the Armenian people to be "very careful" when choosing between the Eurasian Union and Europe, so as not to repeat what occurred in Ukraine. This was reported by the Belarusian state news agency BELTA.

In his remarks, Lukashenko echoed earlier rhetoric from Russian President Vladimir Putin, arguing that the situation in Armenia resembles how everything began in Ukraine. Armenia has increasingly distanced itself from Russia in recent years and moved closer to Western countries and the European Union.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has recently criticised the activities of the Russia-led collective security organisation CSTO, accusing it of failing to support Armenia during the 2020 and 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts. Yerevan has frozen its participation in the CSTO and deepened cooperation with EU and NATO member states.

Lukashenko's remarks reflect Moscow and Minsk's shared concern about Armenia's increasingly clear orientation towards the West. Russia has historically regarded Armenia as one of its closest allies in the post-Soviet space.