MOSCOW (Realist English). Dear Russian servicemen, I am addressing you now. The moment of truth has come. I think it is time for you and the leadership of the Russian armed forces to make a personal choice: either to put an end to the Baku-Turkish terror to which the Armenians of Artsakh are subjected, or to openly show solidarity with Azerbaijan and Turkey, who need Artsakh with no Armenians. It will no longer be possible to maintain so-called neutrality. The position of “going both ways” is no longer working.
The Baku-Turkish provocateurs have left you no room for maneuver. Like Bandera-lovers and jackals, the Baku regime is waiting for “Akela to miss” in the Ukraine. Do you think I’m exaggerating? Read the Baku media and public pages at your leisure. You will learn a lot about yourself there. It has already reached the point that provocateurs insult the President of Russia at rallies in Baku, joyfully replicate videos with Russian servicemen who were captured by the Nazis, the brave “warriors” from Baku even record video messages in which they promise to fight back the Russian Army in the Ukraine. Read the comments below these videos. They leave no illusions.
Your Azerbaijani partners have a short memory: less than two years have passed since they forgot that it was the Kremlin that armed them to the teeth and was for decades preparing Baku formations for revenge against the Armenians of Artsakh. They have forgotten how during the days of the Baku-Turkish aggression, Russia’s representative to the UN openly said in the Security Council that Moscow does not support Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Is it possible to be so ungrateful? The Baku regime has forgotten everything. And we Armenians remember everything and everyone. We even remember the operation “Ring” in the Shahumyan district.
However, the dark pages of history do not prevent us from honoring the memory of General Pavel Grachev and General Alexander Lebed, who perceived the grief and hardships of the Armenians as their personal grief. These were real Russian officers, whom we will never forget. Ask passers-by on the streets of Stepanakert about Grachev and Lebed. People have not forgotten them.
However, it’s not just about history. You know it well yourself. I’m talking about the present and the future. I want you to understand me correctly. If the Kremlin is not ready to fulfill its peacekeeping mission in Artsakh because it does not want to spoil its business relations with Baku and Ankara, then let it declare it openly. And then the Armenians of France and the United States will demand from their governments to introduce an international contingent in Artsakh. After all, France and the United States are the same Minsk Group co-chairs as Russia. At least, it will be fair to the Armenians of Artsakh.
I have no illusions. I am not calling for a war between Russia and Azerbaijan. You are experienced people. Many of you have been to Syria and other hot spots. You know how to convince the mini Sultanate to stop its provocations in Artsakh. When you really want to, you manage to achieve a lot!
Sarkis Tsaturyan is the Editor-in-Chief of the Realist Information Agency
