“Hayots Ashkhar” contends that the South Caucasus has become “one of the hot spots in the fight for a new partition of the world where surprise developments are possible at any moment.” “We have found ourselves in one of the dangerous zones of geopolitical earthquakes,” writes the paper. “It is widely known that world powers determining their fate make decisions and take concrete steps very quickly. Our immediate neighbors will behave in the same fashion. They regard the latest escalation of Russian-American tensions as a new opportunity to take advantage of that discord. Armenia’s foreign policy is on the contrary aimed at using common interests and points of convergence existing in those relationships.”
The paper goes on to claim that for this reason Azerbaijan could resort to “new provocations” on the Nagorno-Karabakh frontlines in September. “After all, in order to cling to power that country’s leadership needs to keep its people in a state of tension by feeding them with reports about killed or wounded Armenians,” it says.
In an interview with “Zhoghovurd,” a Russian military analyst, Vladimir Yevseyev, comments on Karabakh army commander Levon Mnatsakanian’s warning that his forces will go on a counteroffensive if Azerbaijan again attempts to end the conflict by force. Yevseyev links such statements with the increased risk of an Armenian-Azerbaijani war. “As a military expert, I regard as sensible offensive operations by the Armenian armed forces for expanding territories [under their control,]” he says.
“Aravot” carries an interview with David Satter, an American journalist and author who questions the wisdom of Armenia’s reliance on Russia for defense and security. “Russian protection always has a price for Armenia,” he says, adding that Moscow’s main interest is to “strengthen the Russian regime,” rather than defend Armenia. “Armenia should bear this in mind,” stresses Satter.
(Tigran Avetisian)
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