RUSSIAN MILITARY EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA ARE ACTIVELY PREPARING FOR WAR THAT THE EU AND RUSSIA ARE STRIVING TO PREVENT
arminfo
Tuesday, August 2, 15:44
"The conflicting parties - both Azerbaijan and Armenia - are
actively preparing for a war. One should not think that one of the
parties is calmly waiting for the rival to actively prepare for the
war. Certainly, both are preparing", Russian military expert Pavel
Felgengauer said in an interview with Azatutyun.
"The positive thing about this is that all the key players, which are
somehow involved in the peace process, realize this perfectly and are
trying to restrain the parties and reduce the intensity of emotions.
Both the European Union and Russia believe that everything should be
done to rule out resumption of military action. If Russia deploys
its peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone, it will certainly be
good for Russia. Russia has wanted that since 1994", the expert said.
He thinks that one cannot even speak of any peace agreement today,
as neither of the parties is ready to make serious and essential
concessions. According to the military expert, the mediators' role
today is restricted to restraining the parties, because the conflict
may develop into a large-scale regional war. "This cannot be admitted,
and, fortunately, everybody realizes this", he said. In the meanwhile,
he expressed concern over the comparative calmness in the conflict
zone, thinking that the parties are simply trying not to make much
noise.
"As regards the Russian-Armenian and Russian-Azerbaijani relations,
they are cloudless today. In the meanwhile, Russia still considers
the region to be the zone of its historical influence and, of course,
does its best to consolidate its positions and influence. But Moscow
cannot choose either of the parties. Actually, the Russian base in
Armenia lives on sufferance, because Armenia lacks a land border with
Russia and even the air border cannot be opened; whereas for Armenia
the Russian base is of strategic significance, taking into account
the fact that it is on the border with Turkey", he said.
arminfo
Tuesday, August 2, 15:44
"The conflicting parties - both Azerbaijan and Armenia - are
actively preparing for a war. One should not think that one of the
parties is calmly waiting for the rival to actively prepare for the
war. Certainly, both are preparing", Russian military expert Pavel
Felgengauer said in an interview with Azatutyun.
"The positive thing about this is that all the key players, which are
somehow involved in the peace process, realize this perfectly and are
trying to restrain the parties and reduce the intensity of emotions.
Both the European Union and Russia believe that everything should be
done to rule out resumption of military action. If Russia deploys
its peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone, it will certainly be
good for Russia. Russia has wanted that since 1994", the expert said.
He thinks that one cannot even speak of any peace agreement today,
as neither of the parties is ready to make serious and essential
concessions. According to the military expert, the mediators' role
today is restricted to restraining the parties, because the conflict
may develop into a large-scale regional war. "This cannot be admitted,
and, fortunately, everybody realizes this", he said. In the meanwhile,
he expressed concern over the comparative calmness in the conflict
zone, thinking that the parties are simply trying not to make much
noise.
"As regards the Russian-Armenian and Russian-Azerbaijani relations,
they are cloudless today. In the meanwhile, Russia still considers
the region to be the zone of its historical influence and, of course,
does its best to consolidate its positions and influence. But Moscow
cannot choose either of the parties. Actually, the Russian base in
Armenia lives on sufferance, because Armenia lacks a land border with
Russia and even the air border cannot be opened; whereas for Armenia
the Russian base is of strategic significance, taking into account
the fact that it is on the border with Turkey", he said.