International relations expert Niyazi Niyazov said that “Russia takes the initiative of the West in the peace process.” As the expert noted, the meetings of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev show the West that there is no need to impose its agenda on the countries of the South Caucasus and that Russia maintains its position in the region.
“Putin shows that Russia remains one of the leading players, and without its participation, the problems in the region cannot be solved,” Niyazov noted. He added that Pashinyan is not independent when making the decision to sign the agreement. Western diaspora communities (especially French and American) are categorically against the conclusion of the peace treaty. “Pashinyan cannot ignore their stance, because through them, he receives good financial assistance, and they provide political connections with various lobby groups of the West.
Political scientist Sergey Markov, on the contrary, believes that Pashinyan is delaying the solution of the problem because it allows him to bargain with both Russia and the West. “He is ‘selling’ his departure from Moscow. Putin understands that the West is using this situation to push Russia out of the region. But peace in the South Caucasus is important for him,” Markov noted. According to him, Putin intends to return to Russia the role of the main moderator and to develop good relations with both Azerbaijan and Armenia, especially now that the Karabakh issue no longer exists. “Putin is trying to return the parties to the “Moscow” format of agreements and put an end to the conflict,” Markov said.
