In Khankendi, they are preparing for war, and they count on the help of the Russian Federation

The time of confusion and apathy in the Armenian political field is over. At the end of April, Baku and Yerevan agreed to set up commissions for the demarcation of the border. In order to disrupt the peace process that has not yet begun, political forces have been mobilized in Armenia and Karabakh. A rally and an indefinite hunger strike are being held in Yerevan. The initiators and driving force of the process are the leaders of the Armenians in Karabakh. On March 25, 2021, a “law” on the Russian language and its status as a “second state language” was implemented in Khankendi. Realizing the impossibility of defeating the Azerbaijani army, Khankendi plans to attract Russia for their purposes. These hopes were especially strengthened with the beginning of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Separatist leader Arayik Harutyunyan stated that "recognition of independence and reunification with Armenia look unrealistic" and therefore allowed "vertical relations with Russia."

The illegal “parliament” in Karabakh has called on Yerevan twice in recent weeks to once again guarantee, as it did before 2020, the independence of the separatists, and to refuse to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

“A special military operation by Russia and the Artsakh Defense Army to restore the territorial integrity of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not far off. To do this, Russia needs to complete the operation in Ukraine before June 24 (the date of the historic parade of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, 1945 - Ed.), and also change the leader of Armenia to a strong leader who is able to fight. Azerbaijan is well aware of Russia's intentions, so it is arming itself at an incredible pace. The second half of  the 2022 and the first half of 2023 will mark Russia’s military operation on the territory of Karabakh, followed by the dismemberment and collapse of the artificial state of Azerbaijan in 2023, and of course the fall of Ilham Aliyev,” writes the Armenian Telegram channel.

The Kremlin does not respond to the calls of the Armenians. After the well-known words of Putin about the belonging of Karabakh to Azerbaijan (2020), Moscow did not refuse this position. Continuing Putin's policy, Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian Council on International Affairs, said that "Russia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as does Armenia itself."

A video recording of this interview on April 17 is posted on the news.am website.

Khankendi wants to become the next "new" territory of the Russian Federation, after the occupied Ukrainian regions. But, answering the question of what Russia will do if the separatists in Karabakh decide to hold a referendum on joining the Russian Federation, Kortunov noted: “You are only talking about that part of the population of Karabakh that is located in the territories not controlled by Azerbaijan, that is, you are talking about the division of Karabakh in this case".

Kortunov recalled that "not so long ago, the idea of ​​a referendum with the possibility of joining the Russian Federation was also voiced by the DPR, but the Kremlin reacted rather coolly to this idea."

For Azerbaijan, thinking about 2025, when the five-year contractual period for the stay of the Russian Armed Forces in Karabakh ends, the following paragraph is important: 

“When the mandate of the Russian peacekeepers ends, we must have a stable situation that guarantees the existence of this territory as a multi-ethnic one, with respect for the rights of all the communities that live here,” Kortunov said.

RIAC is a non-profit organization in the field of foreign policy and international relations, founded in 2011 by order of the President of the Russian Federation D.Medvedev.

The Yerevan site Lragir called this interview a "cold shower" for Armenians.

Given the persistence of Armenian politicians in promoting their plans, it can be said that Kortunov's statement will not affect the intentions of the separatists to ignite a conflict between Azerbaijan and Russia. At the level of the State Duma, in any case, these efforts of the Armenians are working. Two deputies of the State Duma have already threatened to “deal with” Azerbaijan after the Ukrainian “special operation.”—0—