Sergey Markedonov, director of the Department for Problems of Ethnic Relations at the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, does not agree with the popular standpoint that during the April war in 2016 the military balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan was violated, as the strategic partner of the Republic of Armenia, Russian Federation sells weapons to Azerbaijan.
Russian pundit was skeptical answering the question whether 100-million-dollar agreement aims to maintain the military balance. He explains that the tensions escalated in frontline before 2016: “And the question is not that Russia sold some weapons to Azerbaijan. Of course, one can argue, and personally, I have spoken against it in Russia. But if there is not Russian weapon, there will be Israeli, Turkish weapons. It is a fact that there is a demand for a weapon. There is also a wish to solve the conflict with force. One should think about how to decrease that wish.”
According to Russian expert, in order to solve Artsakh conflict, the countries which have taken up the mediation mission, should interact with each other at least not as enemies.
Nelly GRIGORYAN
