Op-Eds
Azerbaijani propaganda continues to incite hatred amid Armenia’s pursuit of peace
The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which culminated in the fighting in Artsakh in 2020, was accompanied by an active information war. In a climate of high political tension, Baku and Ankara used media outlets, social networks and other platforms to mobilize Turkic-speaking audiences, justify their actions and discredit Armenian society. One common tactic in such environments is the spread of falsehoods and disinformation — purposeful attempts to mislead the public, particularly Armen




So this is how “peace” with Azerbaijan looks like. That country continues to engage in dirty propaganda and smear campaigns against Armenia and Armenians, continues to undermine and sabotage Armenia at every opportunity and in any international arena. Azerbaijan’s mentality of “revanche”, aggression, expansion and genocidal intent against Armenia and Armenians, has not changed a bit in the past 100+ years. Despite achieving its objectives of “liberating Qarabağ” by grabbing all of Artsakh and ethnically cleansing all Armenians, it still “needs” Armenians as the “scapegoat” and as the “eternal arch-enemy” to divert the Azeri peoples’ attention from their problems. That fascist dictatorship continues to dehumanize Armenians and teaches to hate Armenians from kindergarden onwards and in their 100% state-controlled media. There can never be a real and lasting peace with Azerbaijan and Turkey, and Armenia will remain under constant danger, unless its two hostile Turkic neighbors become civilized and peaceful, like post-war Germany. That likelihood is extremely small.
About the Ukrainian conflict, Armenia must remain neutral in this conflict and in other conflicts. It must avoid getting involved in other countries’ conflicts and not choose sides. It must especially prevent Armenian citizens from travelling to conflict zones to fight as mercenaries, which must be illegal under Armenian law. The end result are Armenian casualties, widows, orphans and invalids. Having Armenians fighting on opposite sides, who are neither Ukrainian and Russian citizens, but are from Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora, will only incur the wrath of the warring sides, and will hurt Armenia and Armenians. And when Ukraine openly expressed support for the Azerbaijani position on Artsakh and for Azerbaijan’s “territorial integrity”, why on earth should Armenia side with Ukraine? Ukraine is not the business and concern of Armenia.