In Sight
Living in a Tough Neighborhood
The liberation of Artsakh in 1991 reversed a devastating trend of territorial losses for the Armenian nation. The Genocide had eliminated most of the Western Armenian population and resulted in the theft of the Armenian highlands, the home of Armenians for over 4,000 years. In 1918, thousands of Armenians were encouraged to return to Cilicia by the victorious French a
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Thank you Stepan for sharing with us your great knowledge of Armenian history and current affairs.
In case Armenia/Artsakh enters into open warfare, if anyone wants to see what the “Russian Alliance” is going to look like, look no further than how Russia behaved in Syria. Just as in Armenia, Russia and Syria now signed a similar treaty by which Russia will keep a naval base for half a century. The main reason for that? To protect RUSSIAN INTERESTS, and what are the leftovers can be thrown to Syria. So what happened to Syria with its Russia-Syria “alliance”?
-Russia sat back and watched the USA establish a military base in the eastern part of Syria in order to prevent Syria from using its own oil.
-Russia made “agreements” with Turkey for them to invade Syria with their neo-Ottoman forces in order to occupy the northwestern part.
-Russia sits back and drinks vodka as it watches Israeli jets bomb Syria, especially around the capital city Damascus, despite supposedly supplying Syria with “advanced anti-jet weapons”.
Isn’t that “Russian alliance” great? Now one would ask why did Russia actually sit back and watch all this happen? Well because all those do not threaten Russia’s interests in the coastal areas where Russia established itself. Everything else is “disposable”.
Now we can say that Armenia’s situation is not as dire because we don’t have different peoples with different religious sects which can be exploited from various nations, but it serves as a valuable lesson as to what can happen if we turn our backs and blindly trust Russia. Russia is in Armenia for Russian interests, same as why it is in Syria. Now it is up to Armenia to figure out how to steer things to Armenia’s advantage, but we have not seen that for the past century. Armenia’s “leaders” are all low quality self-serving politicians. However, one thing that Artsakh did right though is refuse Russian “peacekeepers”. That move alone is probably the main reason why Artsakh will continue to exist.
This also shows us that the USA is too important to ignore and Armenia must get closer to the USA, even as Turkey happens to be in NATO. Remember that the Greeks who are also enemies of Turkey are also in NATO. Because Russia has shown us that it cannot exactly be trusted, Armenia will need a plan-B, just in case. Always keep your options open.
Great article and analysis..
3 things that are of most importance for Armenia right now:
1. The absolute need for the most potent, war ready capable military in the region, to not only defend but to liberate more historic lands as a consequence, which will unbind the chains from many scenarios you describe…….
2. Nakichivan is the concern however, because its like fighting Turkey directly. And Russia will not intervene on Armenia’s behalf because its not technically Turkey. The fortifications and supply lines and the ability to strike deep need to be in place now..Be Vigilant.
2. Most important, “independent kingdoms” doesn’t work as all Armenians must be unified as one Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora, with a clear vision and plan in place for all scenarios, especially in case of war. BE PREPARED!
Great article Stepan. Thank you. 👍
Great article. If history has taught us one thing, it is that Armenians can only rely on themselves. Have so-called “allies” sure, but don’t expect them to save you in your time of greatest need. Let us remember the story of when General Andranik Ozanian trusted British General William Montgomerie Thomson…. it didn’t turn out too well for the Armenians.