Russia lost its cards and influence
Apr 19, 2024
Moscow [Russia], April 19: With the withdrawal of all soldiers from the territory of Nagorno - Karabakh, Russia practically no longer has any bright trump card in the game of dispute over this territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Moreover, Russia will likely lose the position and influence it has long built in Armenia and the Caucasus region. In essence, this is also Russia's failure in its policy of balancing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
This outcome for Moscow is not surprising because it is the result of a whole process. Russia has military bases in Armenia and Armenia participates in the Collective Security Treaty Organization security alliance initiated and led by Russia. Then Russia stationed soldiers in the Nagorno - Karabakh territory. Yet Russia did not help Armenia completely lose this region to Azerbaijan and could not prevent hundreds of thousands of Armenians living in the Nagorno - Karabakh region from being forced to leave their homeland and flee to Armenia. Once witnessing Russia's failure to act to rescue Armenia at the times when this small country needed the military, defense and security alliance with Russia the most, Armenia's departure from the Central Security Treaty Organization was inevitable. It is only a matter of time before joining the International Criminal Court despite Russia's objections and calling for Russia to close its military base in Armenia.
For its own basic and practical national interests, Armenia must abandon its long-standing strategic alliance with Russia to rely on the US, EU and NATO as well as seek direct compromise agreements. contact with Azerbaijan. The US, EU and NATO are as if they wish to be granted. So it would not be wrong to say that in this aspect, Russia has lost to the West.
No one is sure what the cause is. Maybe Russia doesn't value this region anymore strategically. It is also possible that Russia is too busy and focuses all on the war in Ukraine and the confrontation with the West.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
