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PUTIN'S DRESSING GOWN
The current stage of the Russian-Armenian relations was marked by
two important events, sale of modern weapons to Azerbaijan worth 1
billion dollars and the tragic accident in Podolsk in regard to which
the toll and the tragedy is not focused as much as the fact that the
driver is an Armenian, a citizen of Armenia. This is a new coil of
Putin's policy on Armenia with unhidden anti-Armenian tendencies.
Why is the Russian policy so cynical this time? The Russians never
do anything in politics just for nothing. PR precisely matching the
task is a typical feature of Russian political engineering. First,
rule out an accidental coincidence of these two events. This is a
clearly drafted line which will have an increasing development.
Let's not discuss what the effect of these events was in Russia but in
Armenia. This time the attack on Armenia has two peculiarities. 1. It
is staged on two different levels - military and everyday life. 2.
Foreign tools are used during the attack.
The second factor is determined by the difficulty of Russia to find
in Armenia new levers of influence on Armenia. Everything has been
used for multiple times, everything belongs to Russia or is under
Russian influence. The society accepted the news about giving away
the last 20% of ARG to Russia without big anxiety.
In regard to the first factor let's focus on not the weapon sold to
Azerbaijan but to public backlash because weapon has always been sold
or given to both Armenia and Azerbaijan but this event has never been
publicized. In this case, PR matters, not weapon supply. The same
goes for the tragic accident. The focus was on the driver's Armenian
origin, the dressing gown on the Armenian driver, and statements that
he is undergoing humiliating treatment during the process.
Obviously, the Kremlin is causing tension in the Armenian-Russian
relations on purpose, especially at the level of public perceptions.
If we resort to history to explain this phenomenon, we may remember
that Russia created such a situation before leaving. Remember the
collapse of the Soviet Union. This thesis seems probable. Given
Putin's persistence in promoting the Eurasian Union and Customs Union
and similar impetuous initiatives, such efforts that are not coupled
with resources and ideological support emphasize how "absurd" and
"futureless" such "unions" are, whereas the political advisors to the
Kremlin must understand this. And if they continue to insist on this
line, it means that there is a wish to highlight this absurdity and
thereby create a tendency of separation.
This is the thesis of "good intentions". The thesis of "ill intentions"
is more straightforward. Russia thinks it is important to go beyond
the status quo in the region and has been able to reach agreement
with Azerbaijan on deployment of Russian troops here under a certain
name, be it the patrol of Gabbala or other places, peacekeepers
in Karabakh or simply a military base. Besides sale of weapon and
frequent visits of Russian high-ranking officials to Baku, evidence
to warming of Russian-Azerbaijani relations is Aliyev's decision to
stop the association agreement with Europe. After that Moscow can
conduct a tougher policy on Armenia, even allow resumption of war.
By the way, these two theses are united by one understanding of truth:
Russia is aware of lack of resources for large-scale foreign policy
and has adopted a policy of local influence (for example, military
basis) and it is returning in global terms to Chubais's economic
neo-imperialism.
Aghasi Yenokyan 11:50 20/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/30512
From: Baghdasarian
The current stage of the Russian-Armenian relations was marked by
two important events, sale of modern weapons to Azerbaijan worth 1
billion dollars and the tragic accident in Podolsk in regard to which
the toll and the tragedy is not focused as much as the fact that the
driver is an Armenian, a citizen of Armenia. This is a new coil of
Putin's policy on Armenia with unhidden anti-Armenian tendencies.
Why is the Russian policy so cynical this time? The Russians never
do anything in politics just for nothing. PR precisely matching the
task is a typical feature of Russian political engineering. First,
rule out an accidental coincidence of these two events. This is a
clearly drafted line which will have an increasing development.
Let's not discuss what the effect of these events was in Russia but in
Armenia. This time the attack on Armenia has two peculiarities. 1. It
is staged on two different levels - military and everyday life. 2.
Foreign tools are used during the attack.
The second factor is determined by the difficulty of Russia to find
in Armenia new levers of influence on Armenia. Everything has been
used for multiple times, everything belongs to Russia or is under
Russian influence. The society accepted the news about giving away
the last 20% of ARG to Russia without big anxiety.
In regard to the first factor let's focus on not the weapon sold to
Azerbaijan but to public backlash because weapon has always been sold
or given to both Armenia and Azerbaijan but this event has never been
publicized. In this case, PR matters, not weapon supply. The same
goes for the tragic accident. The focus was on the driver's Armenian
origin, the dressing gown on the Armenian driver, and statements that
he is undergoing humiliating treatment during the process.
Obviously, the Kremlin is causing tension in the Armenian-Russian
relations on purpose, especially at the level of public perceptions.
If we resort to history to explain this phenomenon, we may remember
that Russia created such a situation before leaving. Remember the
collapse of the Soviet Union. This thesis seems probable. Given
Putin's persistence in promoting the Eurasian Union and Customs Union
and similar impetuous initiatives, such efforts that are not coupled
with resources and ideological support emphasize how "absurd" and
"futureless" such "unions" are, whereas the political advisors to the
Kremlin must understand this. And if they continue to insist on this
line, it means that there is a wish to highlight this absurdity and
thereby create a tendency of separation.
This is the thesis of "good intentions". The thesis of "ill intentions"
is more straightforward. Russia thinks it is important to go beyond
the status quo in the region and has been able to reach agreement
with Azerbaijan on deployment of Russian troops here under a certain
name, be it the patrol of Gabbala or other places, peacekeepers
in Karabakh or simply a military base. Besides sale of weapon and
frequent visits of Russian high-ranking officials to Baku, evidence
to warming of Russian-Azerbaijani relations is Aliyev's decision to
stop the association agreement with Europe. After that Moscow can
conduct a tougher policy on Armenia, even allow resumption of war.
By the way, these two theses are united by one understanding of truth:
Russia is aware of lack of resources for large-scale foreign policy
and has adopted a policy of local influence (for example, military
basis) and it is returning in global terms to Chubais's economic
neo-imperialism.
Aghasi Yenokyan 11:50 20/07/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/comments/view/30512
From: Baghdasarian