The next episode of the security-focused “Dilemma” podcast covers Armenia-Russia relations, current changes, post-colonial discourse in Armenia, Russia’s interests in the “Zangezur corridor” issue, the question of whether there exists a common security architecture, and whether Armenian-Russian relations are solely bilateral.
The guests are Alexander Iskandaryan, Director of the Caucasus Institute and political scientist, and military-political expert Armine Margaryan. The conversation is hosted by Areg Kochinyan, head of the “Research Center on Security Policy.”
Alexander Iskandaryan
“If Russia unequivocally supports Azerbaijan, it immediately loses Armenia, and then, most likely, Azerbaijan as well. In other words, Russian withdrawal at this point is beneficial neither to the Russians themselves nor to the people of Artsakh. The elimination of Artsakh from the map is not what’s needed.”
Armine Margaryan
“If the issue ever goes to the UN Security Council, which in my opinion could happen if there’s a very serious ethnic cleansing in Artsakh using harsh, severe measures, then naturally we would have to deal with international presence, where Russia will again have its unique role and in my opinion would be interested in ‘sharing this burden’. This could be one of the solutions…
I see one solution here that could include another actor besides Russia, and that would be in the case if there’s ethnic cleansing in Artsakh through harsh measures.”
Areg Kochinyan
“Regardless of whether Russia is liked by even the majority of Armenia’s population or not, Russia remains a factor in our region and will continue to remain a factor, regardless of the Russian-Ukrainian war. And we must work with this factor under all circumstances.”
