The clock is ticking. Over 100,000 people –– children and adults –– are in danger. On the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe, the world hesitates yet again, suggesting that powerful slogans such as “never again” or “recognition of the 1915 genocide is prevention [of future genocides]” may be meaningless. It is up to the Armenians, moreover, to learn from this. Regarding the November 9, 2020 ceasefire which ended the 44-day war, Azerbaijan is, yet again, shamelessly violating it as it closes the “Lachin Corridor”, and Moscow, despite being the treaty’s guarantor, continues to drag its feet.
Yet, beyond this infamy, three actors –– acting independently from one another –– have taken the population of Artsakh hostage.
First, Russia. The Kremlin is turning a blind eye to this blockade of the corridor in a way that would put pressure on Yerevan so that it chooses its peace accord over the one proposed by the West. Following the CSTO summit’s failure in Yerevan, Russia, displeased with this collective security organizations’ sluggishness, is looking to make Yerevan pay the price for its flirtation with the West against a backdrop of continued tensions between Moscow and the West over the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is not going according to Vladimir Putin’s wishes. If Yerevan were to announce its support for the Russian approach to resolving the conflict with Baku, Moscow would likely push to lift the blockade, and thus, there would still be Armenians left to “thank” Moscow.
The second actor is Azerbaijan. For Aliyev’s dictatorial regime, the principle is simple: Having failed to obtain the opening of what he calls the “Zangezur corridor”, Baku has decided to block the Lachin Corridor in its stead. “No Zangezur corridor means no more Lachin Corridor”, may as well be the official slogan of this racist, fascist and terrorist State. With Russia having offered guarantees to Yerevan that the Azerbaijani goals would never be satisfied, Baku is demonstrating its dissatisfaction by taking the Armenian population hostage, as usual. At best, this is terror, at worst, it is ethnic cleansing tantamount to genocide. For those still in doubt, this says a lot about the Azerbaijani approach to dealing with the Armenians.
Finally, the West. Western capitals denounce, even deplore, but do little more than that. The West does not have a clear position to defend regarding Karabakh, and waits for things to pass because they have nothing in their toolbox to offer to the Armenians of Artsakh; thus their indifference plays in favor of Moscow and Baku.
Such are the current diplomatic conditions which are suffocating the Armenians. It remains paramount that the authorities in the Republic of Armenia make the right choice, and most of all to the Armenians of the Caucasus to decide their own future: Either act like dignified and proud citizens standing together against infamy or allow the Armenian government to decide for them. Yet there are reasons to question Yerevan’s capacity to come up with a solution which maintains the dignity of the Velvet Revolution, or at least what’s left of it.
The Lachin Corridor: A Looming Humanitarian Catastrophe
A group of Azerbaijani “environmental activists” blocked the Lachin Corridor on December 12, effectively isolating the population of Artsakh. Later, Azerbaijani authorities shut off the natural gas supply to the Republic triggering a pending humanitarian catastrophe. The blockade of Artsakh continues. Live updates on the unfolding situation.
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This article, which places blame on Russia, is a breath of fresh air.
Russia’s style is to intimidate an ally into total submission.
Moscow has been trying to intimidate Armenia for 30 years – long before Pashinyan – because Armenia is of such importance to Russia as its only ally in the Caucasus.
If Russia loses Armenia, Russia loses the Caucasus and Caspian.
Russia would then probably be destroyed by a combination of a Turkic Federation and NATO.
Moscow knows this which is why it is so nervous about Armenia.
You see, Russia’s style is not genuine friendship. Rather, it’s to bully smaller countries.
I don’t know why more Armenians do not realize Armenia’s supreme importance to Russia and the clear facts of Russian intimidation/treason.
Is this some kind of bizarre Armenian inferiority complex?