Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated that Armenia's leadership blasts him for his past support of Azerbaijan, emphasizing that he has always advocated for "rational judgment."

“They are offended because I supported Azerbaijan. God forbid, I have always backed reason and was against war, against us fighting each other,” he said.

Lukashenko noted that at the time, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a “pragmatic position” and added that he had spoken candidly about it.

He also revealed that both he and Russian President Vladimir Putin were surprised by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's declaration recognizing Nagorno Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

“Putin and I were astonished when Pashinyan stated that Stepanakert and all of Karabakh are essentially Azerbaijani territory. I called Putin and asked, ‘Did you hear what he said?’ He replied that he had but wondered who had prompted Pashinyan to say such a thing. I asked if it was his doing, and he assured me it wasn’t; he was as surprised as I was,” Lukashenko recounted.

Earlier, during an official visit to Azerbaijan, Lukashenko, accompanied by Aliyev, visited occupied Artsakh, including Shushi. He made controversial remarks, indicating that he had discussed the possibility of war with Aliyev before 2020. He revealed having "philosophical discussions" about resolving the conflict through war and the challenges of post-conflict recovery. Lukashenko also declared that "Aliyev is now the leader of the South Caucasus" and that "he should control the region."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has claimed that at least two CSTO member states assisted Azerbaijan in preparing for the 44-day war against Armenia. He also stated that neither he nor any Armenian official would visit Belarus as long as Lukashenko remains president.