On his recent state visit to Azerbaijan, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made statements prompting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to disclose that "at least two countries from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) participated in preparations for the 44-day war in Karabakh in 2020, acting against Armenia." Pashinyan revealed this during the governmental hour in the Armenian parliament, responding to a deputy's request for comments on Lukashenko's statements.

In response, Pashinyan took the opportunity to clearly articulate what he had been hinting at for four years. "Now, as soon as such an occasion presents itself, I can say directly: our allies - not from our side - took part in the preparations for the 44-day war. I also know at least two CSTO countries that were involved. These countries may have created an imitation of helping us," Pashinyan stated. He implied that, in addition to Belarus, Russia was involved, suggesting that these CSTO allies supplied weapons to Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan emphasized, "This war was about Armenia's future - or rather, their absence. Their goal was to end Armenia's existence as an independent state."

Notably, during his visit to the Transcaucasian Republic, Lukashenko recounted his conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev before the 2020 war in Karabakh. Referring to the conflict as 'your war of liberation,' Lukashenko claimed that he and Aliyev concluded that 'it is possible to win the war.' He added, "Now the hard time has just come when it is necessary to revive these lands."