Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected external warnings of a potential “Ukrainian scenario” unfolding in his country as citizens cast their ballots in a high-stakes parliamentary electio, News.am reported. Addressing regional threats and referendum demands Pashinyan delivered his remarks on Sunday during a press briefing held shortly after he voted in the nationwide legislative elections. Journalists questioned the prime minister regarding recent public assertions made by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who suggested that Armenia’s shifting foreign policy course could trigger a dangerous, destabilizing conflict similar to the war in Ukraine.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Pashinyan dismissed the Belarusian leader’s warnings with brevity. “You know, this is not serious,” Pashinyan replied. The prime minister also addressed intense domestic and regional debates over whether Armenia should hold a public referendum to choose between its current membership in the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and a prospective path toward EU integration. Pashinyan emphasized that holding such a vote right now is legally and logically premature. “As for holding an EEU or EU referendum, for this to happen there must be a subject for a referendum,” Pashinyan explained. “For that, Armenia must at the very least officially apply for EU membership or have EU candidate status.” He indicated that because Yerevan currently holds neither status, launching a formal application strictly for symbolic purposes would be a mistake. Instead of creating “noise,” Pashinyan stated that his administration would steadily advance its planned domestic reforms while awaiting formal evaluations from partners within the EU.