Altercation Erupts at High Level Meeting of Economic Union
MOSCOW — A carefully orchestrated meeting of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a political and economic alliance dominated by Russia, briefly spiraled into chaos when two leaders clashed during a live broadcast of the event. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan attended the meeting, which was held at a resort near St. Petersburg.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has been increasingly critical of Moscow’s influence over his country, participated in the meeting via video call after testing positive for COVID-19. Tensions began when Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who was assuming the rotating chairmanship of the EEU, invited Pashinyan to visit Belarus for the union’s next gathering. Pashinyan, however, declined, stating that he would attend via video call.
Lukashenko pressed further, offering to send a plane to transport the Armenian delegation to Belarus. Pashinyan, however, pointed to the earlier decision to freeze high-level visits to Belarus due to Lukashenko’s support for Armenia’s rival, Azerbaijan. He indicated that such matters were not suited for public discussion during the meeting, adding that it was not the appropriate format for these issues.
Despite Pashinyan’s attempts to deflect, Lukashenko continued to argue, prompting Pashinyan to snap back. As the exchange escalated, Putin and the other leaders observed the confrontation in stony silence. This rare public display of discord between two members of the union highlights the deepening divisions within the EEU.
The EEU, formed a decade ago to promote economic cooperation and facilitate trade among its members, has been plagued by disagreements over various political and economic issues. Tensions between Belarus and Armenia are not new, as both countries have competing interests in the region, particularly concerning their relationships with Azerbaijan. The latest altercation underscores the continuing fractures within the organization and raises questions about its future effectiveness in fostering unity among its members.
For further reading on the geopolitical dynamics at play within the Eurasian Economic Union, you can explore this analysis.
