Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called on Armenian citizens to be “very cautious” when choosing between the Eurasian Economic Union and Europe, so that “what happened in Ukraine is not repeated.”

According to him, statements about a possible withdrawal from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and closer ties with the European Union are linked to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia, scheduled for June 7. He also said that Armenia’s leadership, in its statements, is reaching the point of “humiliating the EAEU,” Meduza reported.

“Armenians must be very cautious so that, God forbid, what happened in Ukraine is not repeated… This is exactly how everything began in Ukraine. You remember it. So that the Armenians, who have only recently emerged from a war, do not find themselves in a difficult situation as a result. There is no need to rush. One simply has to think and be wise. Before taking such a step, the Armenian people should think very seriously. That is the only thing I urge them to do. The people will express their opinion, and we will respect it,” Lukashenko said.

On May 29, the authorities of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan issued a joint statement demanding that Armenia hold a referendum and decide whether the country intends to remain in the EAEU. In their view, Yerevan’s preparations for European Union membership pose “significant risks” to the economic security of EAEU member states. The authors of the statement said it is necessary to “prevent the resulting damage.”

At a press conference following the EAEU summit in Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Ukrainian crisis had begun to take shape from a situation similar to the processes currently unfolding in Armenia.

“I have already mentioned this. The Ukrainian crisis began at one time with attempts to integrate Ukraine into the European Union. We were not opposed to that,” he said.