Hayk Mamijanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 10 [EP189]

Show Notes

Discussion

Russia and UNSC

Here we are on Day 10 of the Artsakh Blockade that Azerbaijan has imposed on 120,000 of our compatriots.

The Russian peacekeepers were put in a very precarious position when Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin corridor with pretend “eco-environmental” protesters (in reality they’re fully controlled by the government of Azerbaijan). The Turkish-Azeri alliance took advantage of a time when Russia is tied up dealing with their war in Ukraine, and needs to manage some unsavory relationships that it needs right now; specifically: Turkey.

We know that overnight there was a UN Security Council session.

Questions:

• How would you evaluate the UNSC session and specifically Russia’s statement there?
• What can Russia do to remove the blockade? What are the constraints on Russia in dealing with this crisis?

The Role of the Armenian Government

Yesterday the parliament had a heated discussion, or rather, we should say, heated arguments about the role, and current effort of the Armenian government in dealing with the current crisis in Artsakh.

It is interesting to listen to security council secretary Armen Grigoryan claim that the government, with its activities, is showing that Armenia remains the guarantor of Artsakh’s security, and at the same time say that the Lachin corridor is the responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers.

Questions:

• Can you help us make sense of these statements?

Pashinyan’s government seems to be content mostly with just complaining to sympathetic Western diplomats or politicians, but there is no real action to deal with this blockade, and no preparation to resist further violence. And so far, as we’ve seen from yesterday’s UNSC discussion about Artsakh and the Lachin corridor, there are “calls” and “hopes” and “expectations” that Azerbaijan will open the corridor for traffic, but no condemnations or resolutions against Azerbaijan, in response to Armenia’s speeches and addresses to the UNSC.

Questions:

• What do you think is the role of the Armenian government in securing the safety of 120,000 of our compatriots in Artsakh?
• Let’s be fair and ask the same about the opposition: What do you think is the role of the opposition in securing Artsakh?

As a super-minority opposition, meaning that the ruling party has a super-majority and does not need to hear from the opposition, you can’t really do much in the parliament.

Questions:

• So why aren’t there 100,000 people demonstrating against this government on the streets of Yerevan?

As we noted, so far the UNSC hasn’t made any meaningful or consequential moves to protect Artsakh.

• Can the Armenian government rely on the international community in the absence of any UNSC resolutions, or robust military assistance and presence supporting Armenia?
• Even with a sympathetic public and leadership, physically speaking, what could the US, or France or the EU do to help Armenia in its current, immediately dangerous situation?
• Is it even in the political and economic interests of “The West” to help Armenia, at a time when they’re locked in a strategic war with its traditional ally and patron, Russia?

Guests

Hosts